Chapter 37

As we proceeded down the corridor that extended into the depths of the boss room, we arrived at a small room.

"Here...?"

"I'm not sure, but I think this room is probably for that, isn't it?"

In the center of the room was something like an altar.

And on top of it, a sword was embedded.

Though it was covered in dust and looked quite old... it was a magnificent sword.

The hilt was modestly decorated, and I could faintly feel a flow of power.

The beautiful silver blade was completely free of rust.

What material is it? It doesn't seem to be steel or bronze...

"Is this... holy silver?"

"Mithril? Huh?"

I think it's a rare metal that can conduct magic.

"I've only seen a mithril weapon once, but I think this is it."

"Maybe it's pretty good?"

"It's the best material for a staff-sword. It's rare and expensive, so if this were to hit the market, it would fetch a pretty penny... Still, I don't think I want to pull it out and take it with me."

Saying that, Amu looked at the altar with a sense of unease.

The mithril sword was embedded in a giant hand.

It had five fingers, but they weren't human.

Its rough skin was more like that of a reptile.

"Is this... a seal?"

"Probably."

"What happened to the rest of the body?"

"Most likely, it was dismembered and sealed in different places."

In my previous life, powerful demons were sealed in this way.

It's a different kind of seal from sending them to another dimension.

"Is it that dangerous?"

"Probably. But..."

I gripped the hilt of the sword and pulled it out carelessly.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

"It's fine. This hand has long lost its power."

The giant hand cracked and crumbled when the sword was pulled out.

It must be quite old. I couldn't even faintly feel any flow of power.

"But why would they seal it in the depths of a dungeon?"

"Maybe when they sealed it, it wasn't a dungeon yet. The hand still had power, and the naga was summoned, which eventually became the core, and the dungeon expanded over a long time... or something. This place seems to be some kind of ancient ruin."

"Hmm, that makes sense."

Well, whatever.

"Here, Amu."

I offered the sword to Amu.

"Huh?"

"Isn't this a good sword? Why don't you use it?"

"Really? But it's your accomplishment too."

"I don't use swords. You can sell it, but since it's rare, it's better to use it if you can."

"Really? My current staff-sword is damaged by acid, so I'd really appreciate it..."

Amu took the hilt and stood the blade up.

At that moment, something fell from the pommel and rolled on the floor.

I picked it up.

"Did a decoration fall off?"

"No... this is a ring."

It seemed to be attached to the pommel. I hadn't noticed it was part of the decoration.

It was a beautiful ring, despite being covered in dust.

A mithril ring with a small, complexly colored magic stone embedded in it.

Even without any inscriptions or magic arrays, I could feel a flow of power.

This might be...

"Amu, can I keep this?"

"There's no reason to say no... Yeah, this does seem to be a good sword. It needs some repair, though."

Amu, who was swinging the mithril sword, said with satisfaction.

"I didn't expect to find such a treasure."

"Yeah, we're lucky."

Really... really, I'm lucky.

At first, I thought we'd just fall into a boring trap, but thanks to that, I learned about Amu's curse and even got an interesting souvenir.

If we had just gone to Eifa as planned, it could have turned out much worse, so my decision was good.

Amu said,

"If I could, I'd want some dungeon drops too."

"Dungeon drops?"

"Sometimes, items fall inside dungeons. Weapons, gems, and the like. They're created by the dungeon, just like monsters, so they're a boon from the labyrinth."

"Wow."

Come to think of it, in my previous life, the wandering house could grant its owner a cursed object that brought wealth.

"Looking for those sounds fun."

"It is."

Amu smiled.

"Being an adventurer is a lousy job, but it's interesting. Of course, it's not a world for noble gentlemen."

"Hehe, no... being an adventurer doesn't sound bad."

"Really? You're serious?"

"Well, I'm a noble, but I'm a bastard and can't inherit the family. I have to work."

"If you graduated from the academy with good grades, you could become a bureaucrat or even aim to be a court mage."

"Bureaucrat...?"

Honestly, I was sick of the bureaucratic life during my time at the Yin-Yang Bureau.

It's busy, full of trivial tasks, and my colleagues are incompetent and annoying... I don't want to do it even in this new life.

"Bureaucrat... no. Plus, being an adventurer can be profitable, right?"

"Successful ones, yes. But it's dangerous."

"I'm not worried about that. What I like most is the freedom."

With power, you can earn a lot of money quickly and without entanglements.

It's the perfect job for me.

Money is important wherever you are.

I smiled at Amu.

"It was fun fighting with you this time. I'll think about it, even though it's a bit early."

"R-really...? Then, think about it. If you become an adventurer..."

"Let's go on another adventure together. Next time, let's prepare properly. With you, I feel like we can go anywhere."

"Y-yeah... it's a promise."

Amu looked away, a bit flustered.

If I become an adventurer, I can stay by Amu's side.

That's the most important thing.

As an adventurer, who generally acts in party units, I won't stand out even if I'm somewhat strong.

I can be quietly happy in the shadow of Amu's glorious success.

I've gained a lot of trust this time.

This life is going smoothly.

Is a second chance in life really this easy?

"Let's hurry on. If this is a man-made underground ruin, the exit should be close..."

"Wait."

I stopped Amu as she started to walk.

"There's another door ahead. I'll check it out."

A short corridor extended from the altar room.

Even from here, I could see the bronze door at the end.

Amu said doubtfully,

"We've already defeated the boss, so there's nothing there."

"Just to be safe. Wait a moment."

I walked to the door.

"Seika-sama..."

"I know."

I had noticed the strong flow of power on the other side of the door since we entered the altar room.

The dungeon hasn't lost its power yet.

The core is still alive.

I sent a light figure through the gap in the bronze door and peeked inside.

A vast room.

Three naga were there.

On the right, a naga with golden scales.

On the left, a naga with silver scales.

And in the center, a naga with a garish rainbow hue, sitting solemnly with its arms crossed and coiled.

They were much more powerful than the previous naga.

Clearly dangerous.

I couldn't help but grimace.

No, read the room...

It was supposed to be over just now. Why are you piling it on? I don't need this right now...!

I glanced at Amu.

Even a hero would have a hard time taking on those three now...

There's no choice.

I sent three more light figures through the gap in the door.

They quietly attached themselves to the three motionless naga.

I formed a seal with one hand.

《Yin's Aspect—Ice Tree Technique》

The yin energy instantly drained the heat—transforming the three naga into mere ice statues.

The power in the entire dungeon seemed to vanish, as if the light had been extinguished.

It seems they were the true core.

"What... what was that?"

"Ah... the dungeon might have lost its power."

"But we already defeated the boss..."

"Maybe that naga was still alive until just now. You know, snakes have strong vitality."

While saying this casually, I sent more light figures to dispose of the naga's corpses into another dimension.

Alright, the evidence is hidden.

I opened the door.

"There's nothing in this room. If the dungeon were still active, monsters might have spawned."

"Hmm... really? Something feels off..."

To distract the uneasy Amu, I pointed to the back of the room.

"There's another corridor back there. It might lead to the exit."

In fact, I had already sent a familiar to check, and it was a staircase leading up.

The trapdoor at the top was covered in dirt and wouldn't open easily, but there were ways to deal with it.

At the ruins of the temple above, I could see the figures of the academy teachers.

They must have come to search for us. They seemed quite worried, given that I'm a noble's son.

I caught sight of one of them with Mitsubachi's vision and couldn't help but smirk inwardly.

I see, I see.

I really am lucky.

※Ice Tree Technique

A technique that uses yin energy to drain the heat from the target and freeze it.