DUNGEON DIVE: Aim for the Deepest Level Volume 2, page 16
“Yep. It’s not long now.”
All this time, Lastiara had been at the fore, showing the way. That wasn’t solely due to her general temperament. She had told me that she had made it to Floor 23 by herself before. That floor marked the point humanity had yet to get past. Needless to say, she’d mostly traveled down the Pathway. However, just like a moment ago, there were times monsters cut into the Pathway. The deeper the floor, the more that tended to happen. Her experience going down that perilous path was heartening to have. She paced through the Dungeon without hesitation, and we were drawn in her undertow.
Finally, we reached the threshold of Floor 20. There were several monster attacks on the way, but Lastiara and I had plenty of MP left. In order to be ready for whatever came our way, I deployed Dimension nice and thick and slowly descended the stairs.
Floor 20 was a wide-open chamber of aged stone. Just like Floor 10, there was no mazelike element. Unlike Floor 10, it wasn’t wreathed by blazing fire. As Alty had conjectured, the space no longer had a lick of magic energy. It was the perfect place to experiment with Connection.
There was, however, a problem. At the center of the dreary room stood two men.
I wasn’t expecting to bump into other divers on such a deep floor. One of them was a looker with pure blond hair. He was a calm and quiet knight, and he seemed a few years older than me. The other was a middle-aged man with an ocher mantle. Judging by his glossless grizzled head of hair, he had seen his share of hardship. I could glimpse a sword coming in and out of view under his cloak. He, too, was a knight. On my guard, I used Analyze on them.
【STATUS】
NAME: Hine Hellvilleshine
HP: 321/333
MP: 34/102
CLASS: Knight
LEVEL 24
STR 10.21
VIT 8.95
DEX 9.29
AGI 11.88
INT 12.21
MAG 7.77
APT 1.98
INNATE SKILLS: Optimal Moves 1.21, Wind Magic 1.77
ACQUIRED SKILLS: Swordplay 2.02, Holy Magic 1.23
【STATUS】
NAME: Hopes Jokul
HP: 253/282
MP: 0/0
CLASS: Knight
LEVEL 20
STR 4.41
VIT 6.25
DEX 11.72
AGI 8.21
INT 13.41
MAG 0.00
APT 1.12
INNATE SKILLS: Weapon Combat 1.89, Workmanship 1.45
ACQUIRED SKILLS: Swordplay 0.78, Holy Magic 0.00
The blond one was Hine and the grizzled one was Hopes. They were both high-level, first-class fighters. As I was observing them, it dawned on me that I’d seen the blond one before. He was one of the people with Lastiara when I met her on my first day in this world. He hadn’t said much, so he hadn’t stood out, but there was no mistaking him.
I turned to Lastiara and told her somebody she knew was there.
“What?” she said, surprised.
In response, the two knights came closer and saluted.
“We awaited you, milady,” said the blond one.
“Is that you, Mr. Hine?” said Lastiara.
“Yes, it is. I have come here on business.”
As I’d guessed, they knew each other. Yet this “Mr. Hine” shifted his attention to me.
“You’re that boy from back then... I see, so you’re her lover...” he murmured.
Oh. So he’s with Ms. Radiant and her crew. However, the look on his face was placid. He wasn’t glaring at me like Ms. Radiant had. Far from it, I could sense he was expecting a lot from me. I couldn’t read his true intentions. For now, I opted to clear up his misunderstanding.
“Oh, no, I’m not Lastiara’s—”
“Mr. Hine,” said Lastiara, “I’m sorry, but I want to be by Sieg’s side at any cost. I want to live my life alongside him. As you’re aware, my days are numbered. As such, is it really such a sin for me to spend my remaining time with the one I love?”
She spoke using the polite register she’d used when we first crossed paths, lamenting in affected tones. I’d wanted to avoid the whole lovers conceit if possible, but Lastiara had different designs.
Mr. Hine breathed a heavy sigh and slowly drew his sword. “We can no longer see through your lies. Regardless, it doesn’t matter if you truly love him or not, or if you’re just playing. It doesn’t affect what I must do.”
“That saddens me, Mr. Hine. Are you saying I would tell a lie? I could never act so shamefully as to pretend to be in love!”
Her performance was convincing; she had tears in her eyes.
I dunno. She’s the one who’s in the wrong here. No doubt about it. Personally, I’d have liked to have backed up Mr. Hine all the way. But I had to be calculating. In terms of Dungeon diving talent, Mr. Hine was inferior to Lastiara. Moreover, it looked to me like he was a consummate professional married to his job while Lastiara was a free spirit. If I thought about who was more useful to me, I’d have to choose Lastiara.
Mr. Hine replied calmly. “Thanks to your ‘love’ justification, our honorable superiors are in a state of chaos. Even just a council to determine how to respond to it would likely take a month.” He sighed. “The precepts of the Church of Levahn can sure be inconvenient.”
“You think I’m using the precepts for my own benefit. Ahh, what a sad, sad misunderstanding.”
What was sad was how much of a misunderstanding it wasn’t. Lastiara was being utterly shameless. The bigger problems, however, were the “honorable superiors” and “council” he’d mentioned. Lastiara had told me her standing in society wasn’t that lofty, but given what Mr. Hine had just said, it seemed she wasn’t just some well-to-do young lady after all.
“I would like you to return to the cathedral, and I shall make that happen by means of a duel, as a knight ought to. By observing that formality, we won’t be violating the teachings. Now then, Mr. Hopes. If you please.”
The grizzled knight stepped forward from behind Mr. Hine, a faint smile on his face. He gave off a slightly flippant vibe.
“Yes, yes, you got it. But you sure you don’t gotta do the deed? If you ask me, this is your duty, lad.”
“The duty is no one’s in particular. It’s the duty of the post named the Seven Celestial Knights. I must stand watch over our lady. It wouldn’t do to let my guard down. While it’s only been a few days since she disappeared, she may have already graduated to the level of a Celestial Knight.”
“Well, you are the most suitable choice for watching over her. I won’t say you’re not. Nothing for it, then. You. The lady-killer over there. It’s time to duel.”
I drew my sword. “Let me say one thing. I have nothing whatsoever to do with Lastiara’s love life. But since she’s my comrade and ally, I’d like to help grant her wish. That’s all there is to it. Truly.”
When it came to matters of love and romance and sex and whatnot, I was out of my depth. I couldn’t put on an act quite like Lastiara, so I had no confidence I could play along. So I pretended I was unfamiliar with the love affair to see where that got me.
“Oh, okay then,” said Mr. Hopes, feeling awkward. “Gotcha. You’re a cool cucumber, aren’t you, laddie?”
Well now he’s gonna make me feel all awkward. So that he didn’t catch onto how disconcerted that had made me, I moved the dialogue forward, undaunted.
“In addition, I don’t actually desire a duel.”
“That won’t do. If we don’t duel, we’ll constantly interfere with you kids’ diving. We’ll chase you to the ends of the earth. Shameful, I know, but I’m just doing my job. I’m honestly sorry,” he said, scratching his head.
He wasn’t fronting. He really did look sorry, not to mention annoyed by the hassle. I could also glimpse, deep in his eyes, the determination of a pro. He had a mission to carry out.
I’d wanted to avoid a duel if possible, but if they were going to outright declare that they’d do their best to get in our way, I had no choice. I’d use this as training.
“If you’re just doing your job, then I can’t fault you. Plus, I more or less accept that this is a prerequisite for making Lastiara one of us too.”
I took a step forward. It was time to begin my practice match. Even if I lost, all it meant was that Lastiara would go back. I wasn’t too worked up, but at the same time, I didn’t feel like readily giving in either.
“Right then, duel’s on,” said Mr. Hopes. “A duel to claim our little lady. Rest assured, I won’t take your life.”
“Understood. I also don’t intend for this to be a match to the death.”
Mr. Hopes drew his blade, and we bowed. Since we were on the Pathway, that was enough to make the duel more or less official. I could sense the air between me and Mr. Hopes growing increasingly tense.
“Spellcast: Dimension: Calculash. Spellcast: Form.”
If this match followed the natural course, I reckoned I’d win. That was because Mr. Hopes’s AGI stat didn’t measure up to mine (however much Mr. Hine’s did). Then again, he counted Workmanship among his skills. If that skill had the potential to catch me off guard, it’d sway my chances of victory.
Slowly but steadily, we closed the distance between us. My stance was that of a relaxed amateur, and Mr. Hopes’s stance wasn’t much different. Neither of us crouched low; we simply held out our swords in our respective right hands. And when the swords came within reach of their opponent—two flashes of steel. We’d attacked simultaneously, but to my eyes, it appeared as though Mr. Hopes had matched me on purpose. Our swords traced the same path and clanged like bells against the walls of stone.
Then came the second clash, followed by a second clang. Once again, Mr. Hopes deliberately mirrored my blade’s trajectory, as he did for the third clash, and the fourth clash, and the fifth, and the sixth... Each time, it sounded like a bell’s toll.
I noticed that Mr. Hopes’s swordsmanship was purely reactive. While he had talent, he didn’t compare favorably to Ms. Radiant. He didn’t have an art of the blade unique to him and his disposition. It seemed all he could do was draw on his experience and match his opponent blow for blow while waiting for the opportunity to counterattack.
I decided to calmly increase the speed of my sword bit by bit. Given that he was vigilantly eyeing his chance for a counterattack, I had no reason to be disconcerted. I had only to exceed him without getting impatient or showing any openings.
Mr. Hopes tried his best to keep up with the accelerating arcs of my sword, but he soon reached his limit. Even though we made the exact same moves, the gap in our speed spelled the end of the duel. Before long, his sword failed to restrain mine, which was thrust at his throat.
The music of the clanging sword fight had drawn to a close, leaving only echoes.
“I win.”
Mr. Hopes threw up his arms in surrender. “For real? I lost. Ah, sorry about that, Hine.”
Seeing that, I sheathed my sword.
“You did it, Sieg,” said Lastiara. “As I expected of the man I trust. What do you think, Mr. Hine? Verily my knight, Siegfried, has consecrated this victory for me.”
She was blessing my victory in true ladylike fashion. Yurgh that’s creepy.
Mr. Hine didn’t seem at all perturbed. “So it would seem. Since it’s come to this, we have no choice but to withdraw for today.”
“My bad,” said Mr. Hopes. “Criminy, I really don’t think I can beat him in a head-on fight.”
Mr. Hine stepped away from his position at the center of the room and beckoned to Mr. Hopes. They were no longer blocking our way forward.
“It appears you have the minimum necessary strength.”
“C’mon, Hine, my lad. Minimum necessary strength? You know how to wound an old man like me.”
Mr. Hine looked my way, his eyes as placid as ever. “We leave our lady to you, Sieg—albeit temporarily.”
“Mr. Hine,” said Lastiara, “will you not challenge my knight yourself?”
“There’s no need. I can’t speak for Mr. Hopes, but I must strictly adhere to the precepts as an exemplar. Besides, though it may be one-sided on your part, it is still the tender passion of love. As your instructor, I’m rooting for you from the bottom of my heart.”
“Ahh, I’m so happy that my passion is coming across, Mr. Hine. I’m sincerely grateful.”
Sparks were flying between the two. Their manners of speech were polite, but their words were nothing but pretense, and they were being palpably wary of one another.
“You can’t speak for me? Ouch,” muttered Mr. Hopes, looking downcast. I felt like the man’s standing was becoming clearer. Despite his age, he was a piteous sort.
“If you boast strength rivaling the Seven Celestial Knights, Sieg, then it’s a different matter. Our superiors will be relieved to hear it. And you, milady. You aren’t trying to destroy it until the ceremony, I trust?”
“No, of course not,” said Lastiara without hesitation. “I will be back for the Festival of the Blessed Birth. Come what may.”
A pause. “Is that so? In that case, Siegfried Vizzita is to be seen as the hero with whom Lastiara fell in love at first sight. I will issue my report accordingly, so I will be returning.”
“That’s what you have been saying since we conversed at the cathedral. Kindly go away now,” she said, shooing him off.
The two knights smiled wryly and started back towards Floor 19. When Mr. Hine passed by, he whispered, “Please mind milady.”
His voice was soft, and different from the firm voice he’d used thus far. It was tinged with a heartfelt fondness. Surprised by his affectionate tone, I looked at his face. He was smiling. On his handsome prince-in-a-fairy-tale countenance, the smile stood out all the more. Taken in by a smile that could enchant even a guy like me, I nodded.
Mr. Hine nodded back, and with that, they went up the stairs to the nineteenth floor.
Once the two were out of sight, Lastiara exhaled like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “Who could’ve guessed he’d be waiting for me here? Threw me for a loop, that did.” Her act dissipated like so much mist, and she reverted to her usual self.
Maria, who had taken a step back and watched, and who hadn’t been able to grasp the situation, came over to me.
“Are... Are you okay, Master?”
“Yep, I’m fit as a fiddle. That was just a fun little diversion for me.”
“Who or what are those people? And also, what’s this about... About being lovers?”
“Those people were folks from Lastiara’s home. As for the ‘lovers’ thing, it’s all made up, so don’t worry about it.”
“It’s made up, you say?” Maria looked me square in the eyes as she turned my words over in her head. It seemed she was trying to read in between the lines, but that we weren’t lovers was the only unvarnished truth I’d said.
“Yep, it’s all lies. When knights of their ilk pop up, you should step aside and watch; think of it like you’re watching community theater.”
Maria exhaled. “Understood.” I didn’t know whether she was actually on board with that, but she nodded.
“More importantly, it’s time to test out Connection.” I walked to the end of the chamber to set up the door.
“Oh, that’s that spell you were talking about, right?” said Lastiara, who came over to me, intrigued. I’d explained how Connection functioned on the way there, and she evidently wanted to see what this high-level dimensional magic could do.
“It’s quiet here, and there isn’t much magic energy in the air. This is the perfect place. Spellcast: Connection.”
I spent some MP and generated a magic gateway. Back on Floor 10, Connection had dispersed right away, but here on Floor 20, the spell went smoothly. Having grown accustomed to casting and forming spells, I was able to complete it in nary a moment. The door now stood alongside the wall.
“All right, success.”
I pushed the door open to check if it led to my living room. Splendidly, it did.
“Wow, so that’s a magic door, huh?” said Lastiara. “Let me through a sec. Whoa, that’s amazing!”
She wildly stepped in and out of my living room, which consumed more of the MP needed to keep the door there.
“Don’t just jump through willy-nilly! The door’s fragile! Ah...”
As the door was opened and closed for the umpteenth time, it dissolved into mist, leaving Lastiara stranded on the other side.
“Uhh, Master? This is bad, isn’t it?”
I had no choice but to cast it again and pray the door on the other side hadn’t also disappeared. “Spellcast: Connection!”
I could tell my remaining MP was depleting in staggering chunks. I opened the door to find Lastiara on the other side in a cold sweat.
“Ah, Sieg! Bugger me; I suddenly couldn’t open the door anymore!”
“Yeah, because you broke it.”
“I... I thought I might have done. Err...sorry about that.”
“Don’t make us sweat like that. C’mon, come back here.” I took her by the hand and moved her back over to our side.
“Wonder why the door in the house didn’t disappear?”
“This morning, I spent more time and magic energy making it. It’s only natural for that door to be sturdier.”
“Ahh, I see.”
I sighed. “That took a good half of my MP.”
“I’m so sorry. I regret doing that.”
It wasn’t often one saw Lastiara so cap-in-hand.
“If you’ve lost so much MP,” said Maria, “then wouldn’t it be wise to go home and rest? You did just successfully cast Connection, after all.”
It was just as she said. Even though we’d stuck to the Pathway, it had still taken time to get to Floor 20. Considering my stamina, I could probably call it a day. But I knew Lastiara wouldn’t agree. The floors she saw as the fun ones lay beyond.
“Huh, what? I don’t think that’ll jive for me.”
“I’ve accumulated a decent amount of EXP,” said Maria, “so I’d like to visit a church. If I don’t level up, I won’t be of use to my Master.”
“Ah, you don’t need a church—you’ve got me,” said Lastiara. “Despite how I look, I can play priest.”
