The vast forest about an hour’s walk from Byzantium Academy.
In that place, untouched by human feet, stood a lonely castle.
Crows perched atop the roof, moss covering the walls, and shattered windows.
Its true identity was a dungeon.
The Adventurer Guild classified it as an E-class dungeon, “Skeleton Dungeon.”
It was also the location where Sion and his party were headed for their group project.
However, the classification of “E-class dungeon” was merely a judgment made by the Adventurer Guild.
“Hmm… since a human came here, adventurers will soon follow.”
In a room located at the highest level of the castle, a figure walked around making clattering sounds.
An enigmatic figure cloaked from head to toe.
“They must have misjudged the dungeon level after seeing the skeletons on the first floor. They will send weak adventurers, and if they fall to them, the level will gradually rise. Hehe… stupidly.”
Flap.
He picked up one of the documents that had been carelessly left on the desk.
A request form just like the ones posted by the Adventurer Guild.
Naturally, it was about his dungeon, the “E-class Skeleton Dungeon.”
“I grow stronger by consuming adventurers. And… I will turn them into skeletons to amplify my strength. Perfect, perfect… Hehe.”
Clatter—
He chuckled with a distinct sound.
“Everything is for the Demon King—”
The mysterious figure was genuinely pleased as he looked over the documents.
He cast his gaze out the window.
Five students, easily recognizable as Academy students, were approaching.
“Ah, come in quickly. Come in and become my puppets. Let’s evolve from C-class monsters to B-class monsters!”
He continued to laugh pleasantly, clattering away.
*
“Yup! If the map is correct, this is the Skeleton Dungeon!”
Boryan shouted while looking at the map from the front.
“Let me see… It really is.”
“Sion, you don’t believe me?”
“It’s not that. I’ll hold onto the map for now.”
Sion took the map from Boryan, who had puffed her cheeks, and tucked it away.
The castle towered in the midst of the gloomy forest.
This place… is the dungeon we are going to conquer today.
“It is eerie. I hope no ghosts come out!”
It was a bit scary, but that was about it. Sion wasn’t particularly afraid of horror movies or horror games to begin with. While he would be startled by overtly jump-scary scenes, that was all.
The other students felt similarly.
“Haha! If it’s a skeleton, we can handle it. So it’s better to prepare a staff like I did!”
“The staff is heavy, and it’s bothersome to carry around. I prefer a wand.”
“Patrick, you shouldn’t say that. You mustn’t let go of it even when not in use!”
“Mustn’t let go? Isn’t that more of an issue with swords rather than staves?”
Patrick and Geivolg were as usual.
This was a medieval fantasy world.
Monsters and fantasy were real, and of course, ghosts and undead also existed.
Just as they wouldn’t be afraid of goblins or orcs, they wouldn’t fear skeletons or zombies.
“Sion, let’s clear it out in one go!”
Boom!
Boryan pumped her fists together with enthusiasm.
She, too, appeared to be quite unafraid.
As they confirmed that everyone was okay, they were about to enter when—
“Alright. Let’s hurry inside.”
“…Hey, Estroja.”
“Sion? What is it?”
“Aren’t you too close?”
Stuck tightly to Sion’s back was Estroja.
Only a moment ago, she had been shy and unable to meet Sion’s gaze.
But now, after the castle loomed before them, she was in this state.
“…Are you perhaps afraid of ghosts or undead?”
“What do you mean?”
Whack!
Estroja laughed as if incredulous, placing her hand on her chest.
“I am the young lady of the Parawell family. Do you think I would be scared of mere undead?”
“Estroja, there’s a skeleton behind you—”
“Kyaah—!!!”
Estroja screamed like a dolphin and clung to Sion.
Flap, flap.
The crows on the castle roof flew high into the sky.
Estroja’s scream echoed multiple times, “Kyaah- Kyaah- Kyaah-!”
Only then did Estroja realize.
The fact that Sion had lied to her.
“Are you trying to play tricks on me? This is ridiculous. What do you take me for?”
“Guys, it seems that Estroja is indeed afraid of skeletons.”
“No, I’m not!”
Despite Estroja’s denial, the gazes of those around her did not change.
In fact, the stronger the denial, the stronger the affirmation it became.
“Hmm~ So you really are scared of ghosts. I suppose it fits since they say noble daughters are sensitive. To be frightened by such things.”
“Everyone has their moments. I was scared of ghosts when I was young! It was when I was three years old. Haha!”
“Ugh…!”
Boryan and Geivolg’s words struck hard at Estroja’s heart.
Being close, she could feel her body trembling from anxiety.
Sion swallowed a sigh and reached out.
Thud!
“…?!”
“Then I’ll be at the very back with Estroja. Geivolg and Patrick can be in the middle, and Boryan can take the lead.”
“Wh-what are you grabbing?!!”
“…Can’t you tell? It’s your wrist. Just stay close to me.”
“Ugh… alright.”
Estroja bowed her head and moved alongside Sion.
“Then I’ll be going in.”
“…Tch.”
With a pout, Boryan took the lead as they began their dungeon exploration.
‘A skeleton, huh.’
Creeeak.
As they opened the massive door and entered the castle, it was dark despite it being daytime.
The windows were extremely small, which limited the sunlight coming in.
‘It feels eerie.’
E-class monsters like skeletons.
Among the undead, they were relatively weak and still leap stronger than an ordinary adult male.
Due to being undead made solely of bone without muscles.
But that didn’t mean they could let their guard down.
“Two skeletons detected ahead!”
Boryan shouted while crouching down.
At the end of the castle’s hallway, two shadows moved strangely.
“Hi, hiik!”
Concrete!
Estroja pressed up close to Sion.
As the air was filled with the stale smell of dust, a sweet fragrance tickled their noses.
…It made it hard to cast magic with Estroja pressing this close.
“Haha! It’s my turn to shine, right?”
“Okay… let’s go!”
Whoosh!
Geivolg and Patrick began chanting.
Clatter! Clatter!
Two skeletons approached them.
As the vanguard, Boryan attracted their attention by throwing punches at the front.
In contrast, Sion…
‘I guess it’s better if I do nothing.’
Sion stroked Estroja’s head while trying to keep an eye on the situation.
In this dungeon, E-class monsters like skeletons were the main attraction.
Naturally, Sion could break through on his own without any issues.
Even without him intervening, summoning just a B-class monster, a “Death Knight,” through necromancy would be enough to win.
However, doing so… would extinguish the motivation of the other students.
“Alright! I took down one skeleton!”
“Hahaha! Patrick, you did well, didn’t you? Then I’ll take this side!”
“Boryan’s Martial Arts, Technique One… Blade of Wind!”
Clatter!
Two skeletons fell down with a crash.
“Yay!!”
“We won! We won…!”
“Wait, are you two getting a bit too excited? We’ve only taken down two so far…”
Geivolg and Patrick were celebrating, while Boryan appeared flustered.
Sion approached Boryan and put a hand on her shoulder.
Then, whispering in her ear.
“Boryan, don’t get too worked up. Those two… they’re just adventurers for the first time.”
“Hyuh! …Uh, huh?”
Boryan, sensitive to sounds, flinched.
She fidgeted with her earlobes while answering.
“I-I know that much! Being a senior, I’ll show a senior-like appearance. I’ve visited dungeons many times before!”
“Please do. I’ll take care of Estroja.”
“…Is that really necessary?”
“Of course.”
Sion smiled kindly.
‘I can’t take away a newbie’s precious first experience.’
Sion had also been reincarnated several times.
Thus, he was well aware of the excitement, thrill, and sense of achievement Patrick and Geivolg were experiencing.
And he knew he mustn’t ruin that important feeling.
‘I’ll just assist them. I need to keep that in mind.’
Sion clenched his fist, boosting his enthusiasm.
Geivolg and Patrick were probably entering a dungeon for the first time as adventurers.
As long as their lives weren’t in danger, he simply hoped they would have fun conquering the dungeon.
That was Sion’s goal for this dungeon exploration.
“Don’t fall too far behind! It could be dangerous.”
“…Okay. I’ll stay by your side.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
“Fine, let’s go. Did you bring your magic stones?”
Sion casually ignored Estroja’s words.
In the academy, she was scary like a tiger, but right now, she resembled a frightened kitten.
While Estroja clung to Sion, Patrick and Geivolg began collecting magic stones from the skeletons.
“The magic stone of a skeleton is inside its skull. Woah! It really is inside! Amazing!”
As Geivolg demonstrated his newbie-like reaction, the five of them began moving again.
Sion’s party charged through the castle with fervor.
Sion kept a watchful eye on the situation from the rear, staying close to Estroja.
‘It feels like a corridor-style apartment.’
The structures of all the floors were somewhat similar.
A long-extended corridor and doors spaced out regularly along it.
It was more like the structure of a toy apartment a child would own than a mansion.
The dungeon exploration was going smoothly.
…But it was troubling how smoothly it was going.
“…Strange.”
When they reached the third floor, Sion muttered.
His voice was barely loud enough for only Estroja to hear.
She turned to Sion.
“Sion, what seems to be strange?”
“According to the report, this structure is odd.”
“Odd how…?”
“Even if it’s a castle, two floors should be its limit. Moreover, the number of skeletons seems to be increasing as they climb higher.”
“The number of floors… is that really that important?”
Flap.
Sion examined the report he had written earlier from within his pocket.
A description of the skeleton dungeon.
It stated as follows:
– …Undead dungeons below D-class are limited in floors to avoid sunlight exposure. If there are three or more floors, it suggests a suspicion that it could be a C-class or higher dungeon…
‘A C-class dungeon, huh?’
Even if the number of skeletons was a bit higher, it shouldn’t be problematic.
No matter how many skeletons there were, the dungeon should still be E or D-class.
However, this number of floors was peculiar.
Unless there were monsters of a higher grade than skeletons…
Boom—!!
At that moment, the steps leading up to the third floor.
The enormous door at the stairs slammed shut on its own.
Estroja jumped and clung to Sion.
“Hyah!”
“…Estroja, calm down.”
“T-the door just moved on its own. Sion, you aren’t playing tricks on me, are you…?”
“I wouldn’t pull such a nasty trick.”
Sion pried Estroja’s face away from him.
‘Using identification magic, I can tell that magic is at work.’
Not the magic of a magic stone, but rather magic held by monsters.
It appeared to have acted as if it possessed a “will,” moving to close the door.
Naturally, such an act was not something E-class monsters like skeletons could perform.
It seemed as if a high-level monster was casting a spell.
“Hahaha—!!”
“…!”
A booming laughter echoed.
The source of the voice appeared… at the end of the third-floor corridor.
Unlike the other skeletons, a figure clad in black robes covered its body.
“Well done in making it this far. You were quite something for lowly adventurers.”
“…Who are you?”
“Well, there’s no need to answer that, is there?”
Thud—!
“After all, you’re going to die here anyway.”
All the doors in that hallway opened, and dozens of skeletons began to pour out.
…So many skeletons that it was hard to believe it was an E-class dungeon.
