Hell Mode: Volume 9, page 4
“Huh?!” Thomas gasped in surprise. “P-Princess Leila, I...”
It seemed the princess had been requested to wait at the entrance until discussions were over, but she had completely ignored that and marched on inside. “Princess Leila,” huh?
“Oh, Thomas. I keep telling you that you may call me ‘Leila,’” the princess, whose emotions were quick to show on her face, replied with a frown. She then shifted her gaze to Cecil, who stood behind Allen. “Ah, you must be...”
“I’m Cecil, Thomas’s younger sister. I’m incredibly grateful, as I know my brother is always in your care.” Cecil greeted the royal politely.
“Thomas, your younger sister is rather adorable, isn’t she? I heard that she was quite the energetic lady, but perhaps rumors aren’t meant to be trusted.”
Cecil slowly turned toward her brother. The princess was unable to make out the noblewoman’s expression, but Allen saw it clear as day. Cecil was determined to corner Thomas about this; he could not weasel his way out.
“W-Wait, Cecil!” Thomas stammered. “You’ve got it all wrong! It’s all a huge misunderstanding!”
Don’t do it, Cecil. If you try that here, Thomas’ll be decimated. Cecil was a Wizardess King who had maxed her level. A man without a Talent would be no match for her.
“Since everyone’s gathered, why don’t we sit down and chat about our future?” Allen suggested. “I apologize about the untidy room, Princess Leilana.”
“Oh? Very well. You’re rather considerate, aren’t you?” Leilana replied. “You must be Allen.”
“That’s correct. I’m very pleased to meet you.”
“That’ll be perfect,” Thomas replied, eager to get out of this situation. “Let’s go somewhere we can chat.”
The elves had just bought the land and buildings, leaving the structures sparsely furnished, but there was apparently a hall perfect for gatherings. The elf in charge of the purchase guided the group to it. Needless to say, the main subject of the discussion would be assisting Thomas with clearing dungeons.
“How is your schedule, Thomas?” Allen asked. “How many vacation days do you receive from the castle?”
Allen was a guest of House Granvelle. Since Thomas lacked a rank, there was no need to call him “Lord.” Allen recalled that Thomas worked in the royal castle as part of his studies to someday succeed House Granvelle, but the Summoner had no idea about the number of vacation days that an employee of the castle was given.
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that,” the princess assured him. “I saw to it that he received a year off.”
A year? Sounds like a noble pursuing a hobby or something. Though this was limited only to the nobility, it was not uncommon for the son of a noble to suddenly feel compelled to pursue music or the arts one day. As a result, they would end up holing themself up in their room, honing their craft. Clearing a dungeon could be seen as one such hobby.
“I’m glad to hear it,” Allen said.
“Hey...” Cecil started before she stopped herself.
As she knew that Thomas would be the successor of House Granvelle, she was unsure if clearing dungeons was worth taking an entire year off studies. However, she was also aware that she was in the presence of a princess, hence she decided to hold her tongue. Though Cecil was friends with Sophie, the princess of a large nation, the noblewoman hesitated in the face of a royal from her home nation.
“Then why don’t I provide a simple explanation of your schedule?” Allen suggested, taking into account the information that he had heard.
Thomas would enter the elf squad and toil away through the dungeon. Since he did not have a Talent, there was no need for him to worry about using skills. Instead, he simply needed to max his level. All he would need to do, then, was clear a Rank A dungeon before he would be allowed access to the class promotion dungeon. Upon doing so, the Talentless Thomas would finally receive a Talent.
“Can we enter the dungeon with Thomas?” the princess asked.
Ooh, does she wanna clear it with him?
“Princess Leilana, I believe you should be attending the Academy, so you may only visit a dungeon twice a week,” Allen replied. “However, I’ll do my best so that those days overlap with Thomas’s. I must remind you that he’s Talentless, and he’s trying to receive a Talent as soon as he possibly can. I hope I’m not misunderstanding anything here.”
“No, you’re right,” Leilana replied. “I think Thomas is best suited to becoming a healer.”
“I see. I’ll keep that in mind.”
With Thomas’s class decided upon, Allen ended up thinking of a training regimen for the princess and her attendants as well. The Allen Army might one day require the assistance of the Kingdom of Ratash, and it would not hurt to have the princess owe him one here. Of course, King Invel would be the one to repay the debt.
Currently, there were several possible factors that could hinder the Allen Army’s activities. For example, the Academy City with the class promotion dungeon was located in Ratash, a nation that had no connections with Albahal. However, Academy City was under the jurisdiction of the Five Continent Alliance, and with its new base, the Allen Army would swiftly class promote as many beastkin as necessary.
Ratash was also responsible for maintaining law and order, as well as facilities and personnel, within its Academy City. And so, the beastkin, who had no friendly ties with Ratash, could run into some trouble with the military police patrolling Academy City. There were plenty of other inconvenient factors that could pop up too. Allen was willing to do the princess a favor so that he could use it to clear away any problems in the future.
Allen thought about scheduling class promotions as he spoke with Thomas and Leilana about their training. This should do it for now. I have no idea what the Academy gives out as homework, but I’m sure they’ll be fine. Leilana would attend the Academy with the elves. If it had not changed since Allen graduated, there would surely be an assignment to clear dungeons. If memory serves, you need to form a party with students in the same grade to clear dungeons over the summer, but I’m sure she can handle that on her own.
Once Allen was done, he made to leave. He still had a ton of things to do in Academy City with his new base, so he had no time to spare.
“Thomas, I think you’ll find it easier to act with our army,” Allen said. “Please use this building for whatever you need. There are plenty of rooms to spare.”
“Yeah? That’ll be a huge help. Thanks,” Thomas replied.
“Oh? Are we allowed to stay too?” Leilana inquired.
Huh? Well, this place is close to the magic train, so I guess she can get to the Academy from here. She wants to live with him, huh? I’ll be charging the king her rent. Allen suspected that Thomas had told Leilana that he was going to ask the Summoner for help clearing dungeons. The princess had likely insisted on tagging along. She hid it quite well, but she was surely worried about a slender, Talentless man like Thomas tackling dungeons.
“Well, this building will welcome various people and species from several nations,” Allen replied. “If you don’t mind that, please feel free. However, I do ask that you use as few rooms as possible.”
Leilana did not seem at all fazed by Meruru the dwarf and Sophie the elf. The Ratashian princess likely knew about other species and proper etiquette when greeting them. Even she was not allowed the luxury of having multiple rooms to herself, however. While this building was large, each person could not have a room to themself.
“Oh dear, Thomas,” Leilana grinned. “It seems we must share a room, lest we trouble Allen.”
Precocious kid. The princess was no older than twelve or thirteen, but she was already interested in rather adult situations.
“H-Huh?! Allen, we can’t share a room,” Thomas said, turning red as he pleaded with Allen.
“My dear brother, I believe you two may stay in separate rooms,” Cecil butted in. “In fact, you both may stay in separate buildings. As the future lord of House Granvelle, I ask that you refrain from any sort of insolence toward the princess.”
“Th-Thanks, Cecil. B-But don’t misunderstand. That’s not really what I’m implying.”
“Oh, that’s a pity,” Leilana said coolly.
I don’t think Cecil actually hates Leilana or anything. Allen harbored no resentment toward the princess for what happened to Mihai either. He felt like he was carrying over his values from his previous life, but he strongly believed that it was not the responsibility of the children to bear the sins of their parents. The parents had to shoulder their own burdens.
Though he was aware that there had been people back on Earth who had disagreed with that view, he was determined to stick to it. The royalty of this world basked in glory or shouldered crimes because of their bloodline. It was their duty. Still, Allen could sympathize with Cecil. If she held a grudge against the royals because her brother Mihai had been sent on a treacherous mission that had led to his death, he could not blame her.
“Cecil, why don’t we head out,” Allen suggested.
“Let’s,” she agreed.
They proceeded to introduce Thomas and Leilana to several members of the Allen Army. Going forward, the troops would handle the task of taking care of them. Allen had also dispatched some Spirit As that would notify him if something went awry.
Allen left his residence with several comrades and headed to the class promotion dungeon. It was a short walk away, and they soon spotted a line that seemingly went on for miles. Clearly, they were lined up to enter the dungeon. Allen joined them. Information about this dungeon should be common knowledge within the Five Continent Alliance, though the Adventurer’s Guild got a head start.
There were quite a few who were not lining up but gathering around. They obviously knew about the class promotion dungeon and had started collecting more information. The Five Continent Alliance had carefully considered how to advertise the class promotion dungeon while Great Pope Istahl’s well-being had been up in the air, and the conclusion that had been reached was that the Alliance would take the initiative. However, some sharp-eared adventurers had heard the news of the oracle in January and knew that the class promotion dungeon would open in April.
Dygragni, the creator of the dungeon in question, had not been requested to keep it a secret either. He had told all the clergymen who worked under him, and from there, the information had begun leaking. As a result, various rumors had spread among the adventurers, some truths mixed with fiction. Still, power was king for adventurers, so word of a dungeon that would give them more power once it was cleared was the type of thing that was bound to spread like wildfire. It certainly had not helped that the leaders of the Five Continent Alliance were busy commanding battles against the Demon Lord Army or cleaning up the aftermath of those clashes. They had no time to spare for adventurers.
The Adventurer’s Guild in Academy City had concluded that keeping the class promotion dungeon a secret for much longer would only invite further confusion from the public. They had then chosen to advertise that a class promotion dungeon had been created and open it early to the public.
Even so, only the Guild within Academy City had publicly advertised the dungeon, and those from other cities and continents only had unofficial information making the rounds. The Five Continent Alliance planned on making it public in the future so that everyone could have access to accurate information.
Meruru spotted the building at the end of the long line and clenched her fist. “Whoo! The class promotion dungeon must be at the end of this line! I can finally get stronger!” When Thomas and Princess Leilana had received an explanation about the class promotion dungeon, Meruru had been itching to go.
The line slowly crept forward, and Allen was finally able to see the entire dungeon in all its glory.
“This must be the entrance,” he observed. “It’s a larger building than I thought. And you can finally get a class promotion, Meruru.”
“Yep, yep!” Meruru replied.
The entrance to the dungeon looked to be a building around ten stories high. The line spilled out from the structure and onto the street. Meruru excitedly looked up at the building that was gradually growing nearer. She was the only No-life Gamer with a three-star Talent, that being Talos General. This dungeon would finally promote her to a Talos King.
Allen had not come to this dungeon for the sole purpose of promoting Meruru. He wanted to scope out the dungeon and check any dangerous spots too, as the Allen Army would be heavily utilizing it in the future. Hmm? When Allen and his party were about to enter, the person in front of him tried to step inside while pulling a cart. An argument with the gate guard ensued.
“You over there!” the guard barked. “You can’t bring that inside!”
“I-I can’t?” the person inquired.
“Of course not! You’re only allowed to bring your weapons, armor, food supplies, and healing potions into this dungeon!”
The guard, perhaps an employee of the Adventurer’s Guild, refused the person entry, and the poor adventurer plodded away with their cart. Allen scribbled down what he had just seen in his grimoire as the line moved again—it was finally their turn.
“We’re here to enter the class promotion dungeon,” Allen said.
“Very well,” the guard said, glancing at Allen’s adventurer card before freezing in place. “Huh?!”
Another guard approached the pair, perplexed by the situation, and also looked stunned upon seeing the card. They recognized Allen’s name and the gold, glimmering “S” emblem that was displayed alongside it.
“Are there any conditions for me to enter the dungeon?” Allen asked.
He actually had many questions, but simply standing here would just cause trouble. He would only be holding up the line and delaying the people behind him.
“Um, i-it seems you have no other belongings with you, Sir Allen,” the guard said, finally able to process that the dark-haired young man was the first Rank S adventurer to appear in two decades. The guard immediately took on a polite tone and explained the requirements to enter the dungeon.
Requirements to Challenge the Class Promotion Dungeon
Only 8 people can be in a party.
Every person who enters the dungeon must present an adventurer card.
Every person who enters the dungeon must have cleared at least one Rank A dungeon.
Only the bare minimum of items can be brought along. Carriages and carts are forbidden.
Allen nodded along, making mental notes of any differences and additions to what he had heard. All the while, his friends showed their adventurer cards to the other guard.
“The five of you are in a party, correct?” the guard asked. “You may enter the building. There’s a magic elevator right inside. Please take it to the eighth floor and head to Room 802.”
“Got it. Thank you,” Allen replied.
The group headed into the building and followed the guard’s directions before finding themselves at a reception desk and a hall with numerous doors.
“These doors will open automatically when you approach them,” the receptionist called loudly. “You may use whichever you’d like.”
Fair enough. Allen approached one set of doors, and they did indeed open when he drew near. He ignored his surprised party members and casually walked into the small room deeper within. The doors closed once they were all inside. Allen spotted the button for the eighth floor on the wall and pushed it without hesitation.
“You really act like you know this place,” Cecil remarked.
“I had stuff like this in my previous world,” Allen said. To him, this was just a regular elevator.
“Why don’t you tell us more about your past?”
“Eh, the past is in the past.”
Allen could go on and on about games, but he did not speak much about the time when he had been Kenichi. For some reason, Cecil was always eager to hear about those days.
Vwoom. Shunk. The magic elevator transported the party and opened. The doors gave way to reveal a hallway with doors lining both sides, much like the apartment complex Kenichi had once lived in. As he walked down the hallway, Allen thought back to the small room he just stepped out of. Huh. I guess that was a device to teleport people.
The “magic elevator” was nothing like the elevators that Allen was familiar with in his previous life. Rather than going up and down to carry people, it teleported whoever and whatever was inside once a destination was designated via a button. He walked along and finally found Room 802.
“Pardon the intrusion,” Allen said, opening the door.
No one caught his joke, so they failed to call him out on it as they entered the room. He wished that Krena was present during times like these, but the girl in question was on a hunting frenzy within the Rank S dungeon, destroying the poor iron golems. The room was small, with an area of about six tatami mats, and a cube was floating in its center.
“Welcome, No-life Gamers. I am Class Promotion Dungeon Information System 0802. Please close the doors once you have entered.”
This is a pretty small room. It was no wonder that the adventurer pulling the cart had been chased away at the door. If eight people squeezed into this small space with weapons, armor, and a few belongings, it would be extremely cramped. I guess the room’s small to encourage as many people as possible to challenge the dungeon. There were going to be many more adventurers and soldiers looking to get their classes promoted in the future, so there needed to be as many rooms as possible to give everyone a chance.
“Um, could I ask a few questions?” Allen asked.
“I cannot guarantee that I can answer all your questions.”
“How many floors does this dungeon have?”
“There are no floors, only three tasks. Once you clear all three tasks, you are allowed a class promotion.”
Makes sense. Not too many, not too few. Since this dungeon allowed even Talentless people to enter, it could not present too many tasks to accomplish.
