Chapter 54
That morning started off badly.
My clothes got caught on the doorknob, a maid broke a dish, and the heels of my sturdy shoes broke, almost making me fall down the stairs. Luckily, Lloyd was beside me, or I would have tumbled all the way down.
Aine, who had been playing well with the maids for the past few days, clung to me and whined that morning as if something was wrong.
“I’ll be back soon,” I said, trying to comfort her, then got into the carriage.
When I arrived at headquarters, the director seemed too busy to even notice me. Surprisingly, the day went quietly.
“Maybe I already had my bad luck this morning?” I thought.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Kae, the director requests your presence,” a voice called.
Of course. Just five minutes before leaving, the director calls me.
I knocked on the office door with a scowl.
“Come in,” the director said.
Strangely, his usually cold voice was soft and polite. Curious, I opened the door and saw someone sitting inside.
It was Yutias.
“Kae Healer, it’s been a while,” he said cheerfully, waving as if forgetting everything he had done before.
I thought about closing the door and leaving immediately, but before I could, the director noticed my frozen expression and suddenly grabbed my sleeve.
“Kae… Kae! Please, come in!”
He gave me a pitiful look, almost tearful. I sighed and stepped inside.
“What’s this about?”
The director handed me a neatly rolled-up document. When I unrolled it, it smelled faintly sharp, and the paper felt expensive. The elegant handwriting included the symbol of the Magic Tower.
“A mission request…?”
The document from the Magic Tower requested that I, a healer, be dispatched.
“Wait, you want me to go to the Magic Tower?” I asked.
Yutias smiled.
“I’m sorry about last time. This mission has nothing to do with that incident,” he said, pulling out another document.
“A dungeon was discovered in the tower’s underground. When I told Davien, she insisted on going. But it seems the party needs a healer, and you’re the perfect fit.”
The director, glancing nervously at me, whispered:
“If this mission goes well, I’ll personally grant you the Advanced Healer certification.”
That caught my attention. If I got the certificate, I wouldn’t need to stay at headquarters.
“When do I leave?” I asked.
“Immediately,” Yutias said cheerfully.
“It’s not a dangerous dungeon,” he added. “I just need a reliable healer, and that’s you. But if you don’t want to go, someone else can.”
“What if Davien isn’t there, and you lied?”
Yutias acted hurt, tears forming at the corners of his eyes.
“If you don’t trust me, I can make a Wizard’s Oath,” he said.
He snapped his fingers, and a document appeared in front of me. The runes sparkled, and the words stated:
“If Davien isn’t present or this mission is false, my heart will be torn apart instantly.”
The runes swirled, then exploded in a flash of light when he finished speaking.
“Do you trust me now?”
A Wizard’s Oath was a pledge using one’s mana as a guarantee.
“All right, I’ll trust you,” I said.
“Then I’ll write the document as well. It’d be a problem if you came and ran away,” Yutias added. Another document appeared before me.
“But it says you aren’t responsible if I die?”
“That’s standard in dungeon missions. Besides, Davien and I are going, so nothing will happen,” he said.
True enough. With the two strongest people in this world, I wasn’t worried.
“And it also mentions that upon clearing the dungeon, you’ll get the Advanced Healer certificate,” he said, and the last part of the document quickly filled in.
“Sign here,” Yutias said, and a quill appeared in midair.
Since Davien would be there and the certificate was guaranteed, I signed where he indicated.
“Shall we depart immediately?”
As soon as I signed, Yutias appeared beside me and grabbed my hand.
“Eh? Already?”
Before I could answer, a purple magic circle appeared beneath our feet, glowing brightly. The office flickered and shifted until the light disappeared, revealing a tall cave. In the center stood a pillar covered in ancient Terina Church runes.
A musty, moldy smell filled the air, and a chill ran down my spine.
“Eek! Kae?”
Davien’s voice rang sharply in my ears.
“Davien!”
She ran toward me from near the pillar, where some wizards were standing. It really was true.
“What’s happening here?” she shouted.
“The Magic Tower requested a healer dispatch, and I accepted. We’re going to the dungeon today,” I explained.
“That… Yutias…”
Davien ground her teeth, unusually tense. She wore earrings and necklaces, which she usually hated, and had bulky rings on her hands. Swords were strapped to her back and waist, and she wore an expensive-looking silk robe.
“Why are you here, Kae?!” she demanded.
“The healer is the heart of any dungeon party. I requested your dispatch personally,” Yutias said, smiling from a distance.
“Do you know where you’ve come? Go home now,” Davien warned.
“No, we can’t. Kae signed the Magic Tower request,” Yutias said, showing her the document.
“You… didn’t sign this without knowing what it was, did you?” she asked, trembling as she saw my signature at the bottom.
“I thought it was a safe dungeon…” I admitted.
“Safe dungeon? There’s no such thing! And you… damn Yutias.”
Reading carefully, she paused.
“You hid a clause,” she said, pressing on the blank section. Words appeared on the empty space. I read them:
“If the contract is violated, you will serve the Magic Tower for five years.”
“What?!”
“Hahaha, that’s why you should read carefully,” Yutias said with a grin.
“You scoundrel!” Davien shouted, tearing the papers and glaring at Yutias. But Yutias just smiled.
“Ha, tearing papers is useless. The contract is already signed. Shall we depart?”
“You… scoundrel!”
Davien stomped in anger, shaking the cave. The wizards watching looked frightened. Yutias simply smiled, covering his ears.
Davien approached me, puffing, and draped her black robe over me.
“I don’t need this,” I said.
“No arguments. Wear it!” she snapped. I reluctantly complied. The robe made the cave feel warmer.
She removed her earrings and rings and handed them to me.
“Why these accessories?” I asked.
“They’re loaned. I’ll take them back when we clear the dungeon!”
I stayed silent, watching as she carefully placed each legendary item on me. Yutias looked shocked.
“These are all legendary items! Earrings of Crimson Flame, Ring of Flash, and… the Twisted Abyss Bracelet?!”
I felt the strong magic radiating from them. Only top-tier veterans could wield such items.
“Davien! You give me nothing, as my fiancé?” Yutias complained, looking pitiful.
“Quiet! You don’t need these to succeed,” Davien snapped.
She looked me in the eyes.
“Kae, listen carefully. Once we enter the dungeon, stay by my side. No wandering alone. Got it?”
I nodded.
“All set. Shall I introduce the team?”
“Why bother with their names? Let’s go,” she said. The wizards’ faces went pale.
“Why bother? They’re the ones likely to die!”
What kind of dungeon was this?
