Chapter 17

"Well, let's take the treasure and go home."

Deeper into the room where the boss was, there was a small room.

Inside, there was a luxurious treasure chest.

"That's it. The treasure chest. It would be great if Roberto opened it."

"Is that okay? This dungeon was almost entirely conquered by Tao alone."

"But if Roberto hadn't been here, I would have died. So Roberto has the right to open it."

"Alright. If you say so..."

I stepped forward to the treasure chest and opened it slowly.

Inside was a single dagger.

"Oh, a dagger. Let me see it."

Tao, who was watching from behind me, stared intently at the dagger.

Then, she tapped me on the forehead.

"...Oops, what a disappointment, it's a dud."

"Is that so? It feels like it has some magic infused in it..."

"Yeah, you're right. This is a dagger with magic enchantments, but it's not much. First, the base of this dagger is just an ordinary iron knife, and it has no decorations. A dagger like this can't have strong magic infused in it. It's probably just a practice piece."

Someone enchanted this dagger for practice.

It looked a bit chipped and had signs of use.

It seemed like something someone had owned. It's strange that it would be the treasure of the dungeon.

As I was thinking about this, the treasure chest slowly sank into the ground.

"Could it be..."

I immediately created a wind blade with the wind magic 'Wind Slash' and cut a part of the treasure chest.

From the cut part, I felt a very strong magical power.

...I see, this is the core of the dungeon.

This thing usually lives underground, absorbing magical artifacts dropped by someone and growing as a dungeon.

And when it's about to be conquered, it pretends to be a treasure chest, offering its contents, and escapes during the opportunity.

Interesting. Well-designed.

"Roberto? Why are you grinning?"

"Yeah, well, never mind. If this dagger isn't very valuable, can I take it?"

"Of course, feel free."

"Thanks."

I really wanted a magic-enchanted dagger.

Of course, the castle has such weapons, but they are all expensive, and I can't dismantle them casually.

That's why I hadn't tried enchantment magic yet, but now I can experiment with it.

I threw the dagger and the fragments of the treasure chest into my bag.

Then, the ground began to rumble.

"Oh, right, the dungeon disappears when you take the treasure chest, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, let's get out quickly."

I ran out of the dungeon with Tao.

When we got outside, the sky was dim.

"Ah, darn..."

I had completely forgotten about Grimo.

Would it be okay to leave him alone for so long?

"What's wrong, Roberto? You seem restless."

"...Sorry, I just remembered something. I'm sorry."

I apologized to Tao and immediately cast 'Flight,' jumping into the air.

"Hey! Where are you going!?"

"Sorry, I'm in a hurry!"

"Wait! At least exchange contact information!"

While hearing Tao's echoing voice, I flew back to the castle.

It was a bit disappointing, but I probably wouldn't see her again.

Still, I learned about 'Ki,' saw many monsters, and picked up various things in the dungeon.

It was a very satisfying day.

***

I returned to the castle, hiding as I had when I entered.

When I returned to my room with a contented look, Grimo, who looked like me, was lying on the bed.

"I'm back... Ah, Grimo? Are you okay?"

When I called out, he turned his head slowly to face me.

His expression was completely lifeless.

"...Master Lloyd, the maid came and informed you several times..."

"Hehe... Sorry, I forgot."

It seems he had tried to contact me several times.

Probably when I was absorbed in the monsters... When I concentrate, I often don't hear the voices around me.

I need to reflect on that.

"Yes, I thought you must be busy, so I managed to make some excuses. But we ended up having a swordplay session. I was beaten to a pulp. That maid is incredibly strong..."

"Of course."

The puppet Grimo was in was a copy of my body.

I'm not proud of it, but I'm confident in my poor athletic ability.

"That's not the problem. The issue is that after beating me up, the maid started crying and said, 'I will retrain Master Lloyd's weak spirit.'"

"Ah..."

She probably thought I was slacking off.

Usually, I copy Silfa's sword skills with magic.

Unfortunately, that's my true skill.

"So we've been sparring since noon."

"...I'm sorry."

I apologized sincerely.

It seems I won't be able to go out for a while.