Chapter 49

─── 22nd Floor.

Kurof pulled Kurohia, who was silently looking down, and moved forward. In front of them was Kena, who occasionally gave warnings as they walked along the walls or jumped over seemingly harmless paths, ensuring no one fell into traps on the 21st floor. Kena, who had been leading the way, frowned when the bold remarks from behind ceased, but she understood after hearing that Kurof had revealed his relationship with Saharashade.

Well, that issue can be dealt with later, but the problem is this floor. After descending the stairs, the three found themselves in a pitch-black space, with a faint light barely visible far ahead, marking the end of this floor. Kurof tried casting the "Light" spell, but the light orb vanished the moment it left Kena's hand.

"Magic nullification field!?"

For some reason, the light output of the magical item, the light projector, had drastically decreased as soon as they descended to this floor. Kena, realizing the phenomenon, became slightly anxious because it drastically reduced the support options available for the two behind her.

"Given it's Ops, he probably wants us to run a straight path in complete darkness, right?"

Kurof extended his staff and prodded the floor in the darkness. As expected, everything except the straight path seemed to be an empty void. After warning the two behind him, Kena took a step forward, only to duck instinctively due to a sense of danger from her "Intuition." A faint shooting sound came from the darkness on the right, and a silver light passed where Kena's head had been, disappearing into the darkness on the left.

"Trying to kill us..."

Dokkaaaaaaan!!!!!

The silver light, which looked like a thick arrow from Kurof's perspective, exploded with a brilliant flash, illuminating the left side of the darkness. The heat wave and shockwave from the explosion hit the three, and even some fragments of the wall, which had been slightly damaged, flew towards them. Kena, who was usually composed, stared in shock at the explosion, and Kurof and Kurohia's faces contorted from the sheer lethality.

"Wha...?"

"What is this...?"

"Aaaah, damn Ops, what are you doing with a fragmentation grenade!?"

As the name suggests, a fragmentation grenade. The cylindrical arrow-like ones are called fragmentation arrows, and the spherical ones thrown are called fragmentation bombs. The skill itself is not obtainable until a mid-level quest, but its power, dealing damage equal to one-tenth of the creator's level, is what makes it threatening. The advantage is its low usage level, making it one of the items that beginners can easily use to defeat enemies. Of course, fragmentation bombs created by limit breakers are traded at high prices.

One of those had flown in from the side. Given the creator, it was certain that it had enough power to severely injure Kurof and the others. Kena, turning to the siblings, ignored the trembling sister and smiled, presenting the best course of action.

"Run for your lives!!"

"Y-Yes, sir!"

─── 23rd Floor.

The three successfully navigated the lethal area, with explosions chasing them. They ran, dodging fragmentation grenades being fired as they headed for the exit on the other side of the dark space. The 23rd floor, which was not a magic nullification field, allowed Kena to cast a "Barrier" in a corner of the passage below the stairs, creating a temporary resting place. Kena had gone ahead for reconnaissance, leaving only Kurof and Kurohia. Both were leaning against the wall, catching their breath after their all-out sprint in full gear. Once they had calmed down, Kurohia, who had been silent, spoke.

"Brother... what do you think we should do about... Kena-sama?"

"About Kena-sama?"

Clearly dejected, Kurohia looked at Kurof. While Kurof had revealed the truth, he didn't think it was something to worry about too much. Kurof's impression of Kena was that she didn't want to be involved in power struggles, was unusually friendly, and was strong. Normally, upon hearing a confession like "I'm a hermit from another country," one would either be wary or keep their distance. Yet, Kena, who had been making sarcastic remarks even to her sister, had said, "Can't we be friends?" Kurof was still puzzled by her unusual nature. Now, he understood the queen's advice to "not upset her." No one could summon and control such a powerful creature without any cost. Even from Kurof's perspective, it seemed that the two floors she had vaporized were not her full strength. Moreover, her summoning level was 7, suggesting there was more to come. Despite this, Kena had allowed Kurof and Kurohia, who were clearly inferior to her, to accompany her and was protecting them. Kurof was filled with regret for wanting to follow her, even if it was a mission.

"There's no other choice but for both of us to bow."

"Why do you have to bow, Brother? It's only my fault!"

"I've caused Kena-sama a lot of trouble due to my immaturity. That's the only reason."

"Excuse me?"

"Brother is not immature at all!"

"Um?"

"Then, what do you think of Kena-sama's power compared to ours? Do you think we're a burden?"

"Well, um, that..."

"Excuse me!"

"Wh-What is it (sir) just now...!?"

The two turned to the cool, clear voice behind them and were speechless.

"You're blocking the path."

A mischievous smile on her face, an elf maid with beautiful, translucent black hair and blue eyes stood there. Her slender, curvaceous figure, which would make any woman jealous, was clad in a maid uniform, creating a scene that felt out of place. She was inside the barrier Kena had cast, which blocked any malicious presence. Clearly, she was not a threat to Kurof and the others, as her presence proved. Holding a paper bag, the elf maid bowed to the stunned duo and said, "My master is waiting," before disappearing into the depths of the dungeon. The two, still in shock, slumped over when Kena returned from a different path.

"Hey, what's with that reaction! It hurts..."

"......No, I just saw something like a hallucination..."

"Brother, we both saw the same thing. This must be a daydream!"

"Maybe it is!"

"......I don't get it."

Kena understood that both were in a state of confusion.

─── 24th Floor.

"Black-haired elf maid?"

"......Yes, that's right."

The three walked together, talking. Kurof was next to Kena, and Kurohia followed behind. The topic was about the suspicious person the two had encountered. However, Kurohia remained silent, following timidly like a small animal. To Kena, this was more suspicious. That said, when she heard about a black-haired elf maid, one person came to mind.

"It's Siren, as expected..."

"Do you know her?"

"Ah, yes. She's the maid of a friend who's locked up here. The fact that Siren is here means Ops is definitely at the bottom."

Apparently, she goes shopping outside regularly. Kena wanted to complain about making a maid travel back and forth to the 30th floor, but since the person in question was good at using others, she gave up on the spot. Siren is the only summoning maid that Ops, who has been playing for the same amount of time as Kena, has activated. Designed to be "suitable for the fantasy that all men have of her," her appearance was well-received by the male members of the guild. It's a bit unsettling to think about what kind of personality she has in this world.

"By the way, Siren is not important."

"Not important? She was clearly not normal."

"Well, even she is a summoning maid, a front-line fighter who can go head-to-head with me."

"......I see. Not important."

At level 550, she is a front-line fighter, so Kena, who specializes in back-line roles, would be in a tough battle if it came to close combat. Unaware of this, Kurof decided to avoid getting involved with someone as skilled as Kena.

Kena stopped and turned to glare at Kurohia, who flinched as if she had been sentenced to death and accepted it as a matter of course.

"Hey, sister, say something. You usually snap at me with something like, 'Why do you let such a dangerous acquaintance run wild!?'"

"No, um..."

"I'm sorry, Kena-sama! It's all my fault!"

"Why is Kurof apologizing from the side? Are you a secretary of a politician who accepted a bribe!?"

"No, Brother is not at fault! Kena-sama! If my life can help, I will gladly offer it to save Brother!!"

"Are you saying I'm a demon king who plays with sacrifices!? And suddenly formal!?"

"No, please, just the sister! I will use the rest of my life to serve Kena-sama!"

"Now you're declaring yourself a slave! How much are you treating me like a monster!?"

"Even if I'm sold, it's fine!"

"Kurohia, don't speak! This is my problem."

"Brother, please don't take my sin upon yourself!"

Kena sighed, watching the two bicker, mainly trying to shift responsibility. She clenched her fists and brought them down on their heads. For Kurohia, this was the third shock in the dungeon. Tears welled up in her eyes as she crouched and writhed in pain.

"K-Kena-sama..."

"Who's the one demanding sacrifices and gnawing on heads like a dragon?"

Clearly angry, Kena crossed her arms and glared at the two, who were in pain. Kurof, trembling in fear, and Kurohia, nearly in tears, looked at her helplessly. Kena, with a bitter expression, could only sigh.

"Well, Saharashade is my niece, but that doesn't mean opposing me is the same as opposing the queen. I'm just an adventurer, and my position as a ruler is separate. In other words, you can still speak your mind as you usually do. Do I look like someone who would use my niece's power for personal gain? If you want something, you should earn the money yourself. If someone tries to harm my family, I'll chase them down, restrain them, and make them regret their actions. If I don't like something about your sister's comments, I'll retaliate on the spot, turning her into a frog or a cockroach. I actually like her attitude, but there are hardly any people who speak to me so bluntly. Well, I do get angry sometimes, and I might punch, heal, blow away, and heal again. What I'm trying to say is, you can still criticize me without fear of being beheaded for disrespect. I think Saharashade understands this, and I won't let it happen, so you can relax. Got it?"

Kena wanted to avoid causing harm, but as she spoke, the two's faces turned from white to ashen. She had tried to use calm words, but half of it was a threat. It took half a day to persuade them, and Kena once again experienced a misunderstanding that rivaled her past black history, so the rest is omitted.

─── 25th Floor.

After (spending time resolving the misunderstanding), they spent a night in the dungeon, making it their fourth day inside.

"Should we break through the floor soon?"

Kurof and the others, who were eating fruit pies Kena had made with her cooking skill, were startled by her casual remark. They thought it meant the fiery giant beast would ravage the dungeon again.

"U-Um, K-Kena... sama? Again that thing?"

"......It's not fixed, it's not fixed, sister."

Kurohia's timid attitude annoyed Kurof. Despite telling her it was fine to act as she usually did, Kurohia seemed unwilling to change her stance. "Her reverence for the queen has reached the level of worship," as her brother put it. Kurof even considered knocking her down. In the midst of other headaches, a signpost had sprouted from the floor in the middle of the passage behind them, reading "Direct Path to 28th Floor." Approaching it, an alarm sounded in her head, making it unclear whether the path itself was a trap or if touching the signpost would trigger it. Considering the danger that awaited at the end, it was safer for Kena to go first. However, leaving the two on this floor meant they might be eaten by monsters.

The most efficient solution was to summon a creature to trigger the trap. However, some summoned creatures would revert to their wild state and lose control if they moved too far from their summoner, so careful selection was necessary. A high-level monster suddenly becoming a mid-boss was not desirable.

[Summoning Magic: Water Spirit: Lv4]

From the blue magic circle on the floor, a ten-armed squid rose, standing upright and supporting its body. It was about three meters tall, almost touching the ceiling, with a translucent, crystal-like body that sparkled. If it weren't alive, it would look like a delicate work of art. It was a special summoning creature with various special abilities, not limited to underwater environments. While Kurof and Kurohia were captivated, Kena gave the squid instructions.

"Go through the trap and descend to the lower floor. Wait there and eliminate any enemies you encounter..."

"Then, as an apology for my rudeness, I will go!"

"......What?"

Kurohia suddenly volunteered and ran towards the path with the signpost. Taken aback, Kurof, who was still looking at the summoned creature, and even Kena, couldn't react. Kurohia's hand lightly touched the signpost, and with a "click," the path it was on was sliced into sections. The path itself slid to the side, revealing a new path without the signpost, like a revolving door.

Kurohia, now in a different path, was shocked to see an endless downward slope behind her and, in front, a steel ball illuminated by the light projector, about three times her size. The path itself disintegrated and was embedded in the wall. The signpost barely supported the steel ball, which was about to roll down. The future that awaited her was clear, and she broke out in a cold sweat. Taking a few steps back, the signpost, her last barrier, fell with a thud. The steel ball, a massive killing machine, began to roll with a "rumble." Kurohia had only one option: to prioritize her survival instinct over pride.

"NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN