Chapter 160

✠

“……”

“What. Why do you look at me like that?”

Ligares smiled with a puzzled look on his face.

Yes. He was the kind of person who could laugh at and express his insidious and dark thoughts without any hesitation.

“Anyway, take care of yourself, I’d be in a bad mood if you came back hurt.”

“……I am honored.”

In retrospect, Frintz had always wondered.

Why does this prince, who is an extreme opposite of himself, continues to like him?

But he didn’t think a knight cadet from a commoner’s background would dare ask. So, as usual, it was time to make silence a virtue, but for some reason, Ligares was the first to mention the reason today.

“You know what?”

“……Yes?”

“You have a similar vibe to my dead brother.”

Suddenly, the distance between Ligares and Frintz narrowed.

“I guess it’s a good replacement.”

“……”

The low whisper was coldly lodged in Frintz’s mind like a shard of ice. Time passed as his chest stopped rising and falling.

“Your Highness the 3rd Prince, there you are!”

The royal knights called for Ligares.

“What’s going on?”

“We have a problem. It concerns the magic army that arrived at the rendezvous point a while ago.”

Allied troops arrived an hour earlier than the designated time causing trouble

“Tell me what’s going on.”

“A chimera researcher led the Replubic’s Magic army and entered the dungeon. They say they can’t fight together with the Church, so they will start subjugation first.”

“……Hmm.”

The corners of Ligares’ mouth drew a curve.

Perhaps the knights anticipated the outcome even before reporting.

“We need to rescue my brother and sister, who are shaking in fear, as quickly as possible.”

Ligares commanded as a prince.

“Go and tell Marquis Romina Lecandro. The kingdom’s troops are to enter the dungeon immediately.”

✠

What’s going on here?

The backyard of the Summer Palace, which should have been filled with troops for the second subjugation squad, was deserted.

I turned on the system window and checked the time. There was no problem with my arrival time.

“Why are we the only ones in front of the dungeon gate?”

Thesilid, Ephael, Hestio, and Ash seemed to have the same question.

Ephael and Hestio expressed their opinions.

“Did they go out to eat and didn’t come back?”

“Or maybe a dungeon sink happened again.”

“Anything more creative?”

Around the time when the brain activity of the paladins was being stimulated.

“By any chance, are you Her Eminence the Chosen One?”

I turned in the direction of the voice.

Two women wearing blue uniforms identified their affiliation with the Royal Knights.

One was a reddish-blonde, almost orange in color, who had an overall gap charm.

Not only did she have a cute face that showed a strong personality, but she was carrying a huge greatsword on her back that did not fit with her short stature.

On the other side was a woman with light brown hair who wielded two rapiers. Her half-closed, sleepy-looking eyes were impressive.

I feel like I somehow know who these two were.

While I was racking my brain and forgot to answer, the two knights were whispering to each other.

“It’s not her? Well, The Chosen One was said to be the Prince’s granddaughter. She would be a lot more rugged, right?”

“Hmm, that’s right. That’s an arm that doesn’t look like it could hold Cherley’s great sword with one hand……”

“Instead of a cute girl like this, let’s find someone who looks like she’ll use heals while punching.”

They lowered their voices to speak softly, but everything was heard. While Ephael and Hestio held back their laughter, Thesilid calmly stepped forward.

“This is indeed Her Eminence The Chonse One.”

“Oh, excuse me!”

“Ex-Excuse me……”

Thesilid then summoned the Holy Sword in his right hand, because it was not for fighting but to prove identity, the hilt of the sword was lowered.

“My name is Thesilid Argent, the master of the Holy Sword. Who are you, dames?”

“I am Cherley Lecandro, a member of the Royal Knights.”

“Of the same order, Shez Rinati……”

Alas, as expected.

After hearing their full names, I became certain.

Two royal knights with orange-blond and light-brown hair.

They were the youngest daughter of the Marquis of Lecandro and the eldest daughter of the Count Rinati.

The two were also the second and third of the 114th class of the military academy.

I stepped forward to introduce myself.

“I’m Ellet Rodellaine, the Saint.”

“Rodellaine……?”

The red-blond Cherli Lecandro widened her eyes. It was natural that cadets in the 114th class knew my brother, who was in the 117th class.

Of course, it wasn’t something we could discuss in depth right now.

“Dame Cherley, Dame Shez, I think you need to explain the current situation.”

“That is……”

Cherley, who seemed to be more talkative than Shez, explained.

In short, it went like this.

About an hour ago, Archmage Morifis went inside the dungeon first, leading the Republic’s Magic troops, and Marquis Lecandro followed suit, leading the kingdom’s army under the orders of the 3rd Prince, Ligares.

“Haaa, 3rd Prince……”

That personality wrecker with a brother complex finally did something.

In effect, the Kingdom chose between the Church and the Magic Republic. This is bound to come up in future diplomatic matters.

The two royal knights hastily dropped to one knee before me and Cherley snatched up an excuse.

“I’m sorry, Your Eminence. His Highness the 3rd Prince has a special affection for his older brother and sister, so he couldn’t bear it……”

“Very special indeed.”

“……”

“Oh my, did I just say that out loud? I’m sorry.”

“Oh, pay us no mind, Your Eminence.”

“Her holiness……personality is……charming……”

“Shez.”

Cherley slapped her genius-but-nerdy friend on the side of the head with a loud thud, breaking into a cold sweat.

I willingly feigned ignorance and looked at Thesilid with a wry smile.

Because the story of The Third Prince, Ligares, came out, I was concerned about him.

Thesilid had a record of dying because of Ligares in his previous life. He had visited the palace as a diplomatic envoy and was marked for death by Ligares, who hated the Church, only because he was the owner of the Holy Sword.

So Thesilid was killed out of one-sided and irrational malice.

That had happened in the previous round, but Thesilid seemed unmoved and unconcerned.

“Rise now, Dame Cherley, Dame Shez.”

“I apologize will all due respect to Your Eminence, I can’t bear to…”

“Never mind, it’s not the fault of you two so I see no need to ask you for an apology.”

Cherley and Shez stood up, looking impressed by my reasonable judgment.

We spoke at eye level.

“Apparently, the Dames stayed behind to help us join the subjugation party that set out first.”

“That is correct, Your Eminence.”

“Has it already been about three hours inside the dungeon?”

“Yes. Joining may be difficult, but we will do our best to guide you. Dame Shez and I participated in the first subjugation, so please leave it to us.”

Not that I doubt their skill.

It can be said that Marquis Lecandro, who left behind two aces of the Royal Knights, also showed her sincerity.

But that’s it.

As a Holy Saint of the Church of Elpenheim and the representative of Prince Hispenril, I need to take my stand.

I exchanged glances with both, then lifted my chin slightly.

“What if I say I have no intention of joining?”

Not only Cherley and Shez, but even our paladins looked at me with wide eyes.

“Your Eminence?”

“Huh? Captain?”

I said more firmly.

“Our party does not plan to join the subjugation force that started earlier.”

“Are you…serious……?”

“They abandoned us first. Do you think we can fight together?”

“……”

Since your opponent is out of line, you can use a solid justification to turn the situation to your advantage. Therefore…….

“We will move independently after entering the dungeon.”

Monopolize the boss.

I looked back to my paladins and asked a question with a predetermined answer.

“Everyone is okay with that, right?”

Thesilid silently nodded in agreement, and Ephael and Hestio sighed and shrugged their shoulders.

“Well, if it’s the captain’s call, it’s the captain’s call.”

“Right, I guess the exemption from the rule of donation of one-third of spoils is actually an extra allowance for hazard work?”

Ash also had no complaints.

“I’m just glad I don’t have to deal with the Magic Army.”

“Oh, right, you’re a suspect……Mm-mm, right.”

“You can’t sell it, sister.”

“I won’t.”

Cherley and Shez muttered in confusion.

“With this number of people……”

“Her Holiness is……fearless……”

I spoke with consideration to the two royal knights.

“In that sense, I will decline the guidance of Dame Cherley and Dame Shez. Only my paladins will enter the dungeon.”

[‘The Eyes that Watch over the Chaos of All Things’ urges you to enter the dungeon as soon as possible if things are decided.]

[‘The Spoiler Inspector’ glares at the ‘The Eyes that Watch over the Chaos of All Things’.]

[‘The Eyes that Watch over the Chaos of All Things’ looks down with reddened eyes.]

To stop Cherley and Shez from trying to retort, I raised my right hand and made a signal.

“Let’s all go in.”

Five people, including me, stepped into the swirling gate.

[ You entered the SS-level difficulty dungeon ‘The Land of Fairy Tales Where Heroes Are Buried.’]

The unfolding landscape was a cemetery on a moonlit night.

“You’re already here to pick me up.”

Crack, crack, rattling, rattling, rattling…!

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