Chapter~38
“Dungeon! Run!”
The moment someone shouted that, chaos erupted everywhere.
It was as if time itself had started moving again, filling the temple with instantaneous pandemonium.
Guests trying to exit pushed each other aside frantically.
“Monsters are pouring out! Everyone, stop them!”
“Calm down! Form ranks and face the monsters coming out of the dungeon!”
The urgent shouts of the temple staff, the screams of the people…
Amid the loud human noise, the terrifying voices of the monsters rang sharply.
Every time that voice sounded, people became more agitated, losing their rationality.
With the crowd pushing toward the exits, it seemed likely that more people would die from trampling than from the monsters themselves.
“Enough! Everyone, calm down!”
At that moment, a clear, commanding voice echoed throughout the temple.
It was the princess.
The people seemed entranced, stopping as if spellbound when they saw her.
The moment their eyes met hers, a heavy sense of fatigue pressed down.
Apparently, she had used her charm ability.
“Princess!”
“Follow me in order! Captain of the Knights, guide them!”
“Yes, yes! Third Order Knights! Evacuate the guests! The rest will tackle the dungeon!”
Though a faint excitement lingered, the people began moving in an orderly manner, following the knights’ instructions.
The young duke leaned over and whispered to me.
“Once we get outside, the duke’s knights will join in. It should be manageable then.”
I nodded and cut down the monsters charging at me.
Slash!
The severed black creatures stuck to the temple floor like dark sludge.
“We’ll join the dungeon-clearing team. Ben should handle things well, so let’s deal with the urgent tasks first.”
“Yes!”
Vice-captain Ben was a seasoned veteran.
Having worked with him for the past year, I knew that well.
So…
“These things have no apparent weak points! Cutting them with aura slows them down, but it doesn’t stop them completely!”
“Seems like holy power doesn’t affect them either.”
…Unintelligible screeches came from within the hole.
However, unlike the terrifying cries from inside the dungeon, the monsters emerging here were persistent but manageable.
With this level of force assembled, things were certainly easier to handle.
After a long while of slashing and cutting, the number of monsters coming out gradually began to decrease.
“It looks like the dungeon will be cleared soon!”
“That’s all well and good, but what kind of monsters are these?”
“Wouldn’t they be terrible creations made by black mages?”
As things eased, the knights began speculating.
Indeed, I had never seen monsters or a dungeon like this before.
In “Miss Maker,” dungeons normally dragged intruders inside by force, or attackers entered before the gates closed.
But a dungeon where monsters emerge outside the gate? Even if it were a bug, it wouldn’t be wrong to call it one.
“If only it were an internal dungeon, I could’ve used the bracelet…”
It would have been easier if escape were the only solution.
…I idly toyed with the old bracelet on my wrist, as if blaming myself.
“The situation is settling down. Sonnet, join the outside. I’ll finish clearing the dungeon first.”
“Yes. This is a dungeon type we haven’t encountered before, so be careful.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not weak.”
Right, this human was a sword master.
As long as his trauma wasn’t triggered, he wouldn’t die.
And this dungeon, suspicious as it was, wasn’t flooded with water.
The situation was already beginning to stabilize.
“Understood!”
I followed the young duke’s orders and moved outside to join the forces there.
A little while after Sonnet left, Pierre asked the captain of the First Order Knights at the temple.
“Can this dungeon be sealed for sure?”
“Yes, Your Grace. It’s still in the form of a dungeon. Once the conditions are met, it should close.”
“Captain, the measurements are in! It seems the condition is to defeat all monsters inside. The grade is approximate, but they’re between high-grade and top-grade…”
“Hmm? Defeat all monsters? But there shouldn’t be more-”
As the subordinate finished reporting, the black hole in front of them revealed its sharp claws.
“Get out of the way!”
“Ugh—!”
Kaang!
The claw, resembling a massive beast’s hand, clashed with Pierre’s sword.
…The beast roared.
From that hand, something began creeping out slowly, tearing space as it emerged.
“Hngh…!”
“No wonder it seemed easy for a high-grade dungeon… looks like this is the main body.”
Everyone swallowed their breath at the sheer overwhelming presence of what looked like a high-grade monster.
Among them, Pierre smiled calmly, oddly out of place.
“Alright, let’s see what you’ve got.”
With a crooked grin, he readjusted his grip on the sword and charged at the monster trying to exit the world.
I scanned the area around the dungeon.
Just in case anyone was left behind, I looked around, but there was no one.
Relieved, I headed toward the temple’s previously set-up evacuation center.
“It seems the grade wasn’t as high as expected. No major injuries, and they’re attempting to close the dungeon after defeating the monsters.”
Hearing me say the knights guarding the center were gradually settling down, everyone felt reassured.
Now, the main concern would be post-incident management inside the temple.
Even though the guests were nobles, I trusted they would be taken care of.
I asked Ben about the guests.
“Are the guests alright?”
“No problem. Everyone has been moved to the evacuation center inside. Thanks to the princess, things went smoother than expected.”
“It helps that the overall mood settles even if no one is affected by her ability.”
“Yes. Though the aftermath is concerning…”
“Ah…”
The princess’s ability was charm.
It made people love her and devotedly obey.
In such situations, it couldn’t be helped, but who knew what would happen to those who fell for her ability?
“Right, you’re close with the princess and Miss Damia, right?”
“Close, I guess…”
“Not close?”
“Hmm… let’s say we’re close.”
“Then go to Damia inside. She’s been pale and restless ever since. Having someone familiar nearby should help, right?”
She might have developed trauma.
I could see the thought behind Ben’s suggestion.
“Right. I’ll go check in while also rotating with the guards inside.”
“Alright.”
As I stepped into the evacuation center, I saw it crowded.
Many nobles had come to witness the verification ceremony, but there were also ordinary visitors.
“Miss Damia, are you alright?”
“Ah… ah, Princess? You shouldn’t be here…”
Among the crowd, Damia looked pale and flustered, while the princess gently reassured her.
“Princess, Miss Damia.”
“Come quickly, Sir Sonnet. Damia won’t calm down. Can you help? I’ve used my ability, but it seems ineffective.”
Damia Cartier likely had no magic to resist the princess’s ability, yet…
I found that odd, but first priority was to calm Damia.
“Are you alright, Miss Damia?”
“…Sonnet?”
“Yes, it’s me. The dungeon at the verification site is being cleared, so don’t worry. Staying in the evacuation center is safe.”
As I spoke to reassure her, her face grew even paler.
“Evacuation center? Here… right… but then the princess—”
“Yes. So—”
“The princess is in danger.”
“Excuse me?”
Before she could explain further, her necklace began turning black.
The blackness spread rapidly from the jewel through the metal.
Similar to what happened during the verification, I quickly tore the necklace off and threw it away.
“Miss Damia! Princess! Step back!”
“What… what is happening now?!”
“Is it… because of me…?”
The necklace, having hit the wall and fallen, began twisting into a strange shape.
I swung my sword toward it while keeping the two of them behind me.
And at that moment…
“Interference is not allowed. It will cause complications.”
A familiar, yet unwelcome, voice rang close by.
