Chapter 175
“……”
Han’s unusual gaze was fixed on them. It was as distant as the morning mist, yet distinctly otherworldly.
The duration of the ‘Essence of Life’ was still manageable. Even if a battle broke out this time, it would hold.
Vargan felt the necessary tension in his body, ready to respond and attack at any moment. Han wielded a sword, and a moment’s judgment could cost a life.
As he observed his opponent’s reaction, a woman emerged from behind him.
“Wait! We’re not here to fight!”
No mana emanated from the woman. With trembling legs, she stood between Han and us.
Could she be someone related to Han?
Strange. Han had entered the dungeon at Seiman Gorge alone.
Though she clearly seemed terrified, she spoke courageously.
“I have something to tell you both. Just, even for a moment… please hear me out!”
Vargan calmly scrutinized her. No matter how he looked at it, she was ordinary… no, she was an archaic human without any mana circuits. That meant she was a resident of this place…
“Who are you?”
Erica shot the question like an arrow. The woman swallowed hard, her brow furrowing.
“My name is Anna. I’m just one of many citizens living here in Urna.”
“That’s not what I asked. What’s your relationship with that man over there?”
“Uh… this, this person is….”
The woman, identifying herself as Anna, glanced back and forth between Han and Erica. She was struggling to convey her thoughts without distortion.
Han, who had remained silent until now, answered in her stead.
“…Let’s move to another spot.”
This place is too noisy for a conversation.
Han’s words felt reasonable, yet he was the Bishop of the Goddess Church. With narrowed eyes, Erica shot back, seemingly unable to comply.
“Why should we trust anything from an enemy who could try to kill us at any moment?”
Contrasting with Erica’s heightened vigilance, Han’s mana was extremely stable. He handed the sword he was holding to Anna and said,
“I have no intention of fighting you.”
“What did you say?”
“Let us at least hear this woman’s words. We can postpone our matters until after.”
Suddenly receiving the sword, Anna was flustered, not knowing what to do, before straightening her brow and confronting Erica. The muscles around her mouth were tense.
“Please! I beg you to listen to me!”
“Even if you say that, how does it relate to Altife… Schugenharz?”
Vargan halted Erica’s words for a moment. The oppressive weight of his mana, which had been crushing the space, vanished.
He stopped. The oppressive weight of his mana, which felt like it was crushing the space around them, vanished.
“Erica. Let’s follow them.”
“Schugenhartz! What are you talking about? The opponent is Altife!”
“I am aware of your faith in Yggdrasil. However, that woman is undoubtedly a resident of the dungeon.”
Dungeons and Monsters, or Altife, don’t have a symbiotic relationship. In fact, it’s more like they’re sworn enemies, always trying to kill each other. Yet here they were, trying to involve us in collaboration with Han…
…Bargan, having made his judgment internally, continued speaking.
“It must be related to the conquest of the dungeon.”
The dungeon in the Seiman Gorge is not like the usual dungeons.
That fact was already confirmed while passing through the hallway.
I don’t know what the intention is, but somehow this dungeon seems to require a ‘condition’ to clear its given mission in order to exit.
The restriction on free entry and exit from the outside is likely due to this.
“Though it’s not ideal, we need to follow the story for now. Especially if a resident of the dungeon is actively requesting it.”
“……”
Erica’s necklace, which was radiating light, quieted down. She hadn’t completely lowered her guard, but it was a sign that she wouldn’t engage in combat right away.
Despite her displeased expression, Erica complied with Bargan’s words. Bargan expressed his gratitude towards her.
“I’m not trusting you; I’m trusting the Schugenhartz family’s knowledge about the dungeon. If anything seems off, I’ll attack immediately.”
Erica retorted coldly, like a feral cat.
*
Anna led everyone to her house, strolling ahead with Han’s sword tucked in her arms.
Erica kept her mana sensitive, not taking her eyes off Han, while Bargan continued to observe him.
According to the mana, he didn’t appear to be in a state of losing his sanity. The Han described in the novels was a madman who couldn’t communicate.
He still looked like a swordsman enjoying peace…
Could it be that the chain reactions following possession changed him?
It’s not an impossible hypothesis. No matter how meticulously one predicts and plans, there could still be unnoticed causal relationships.
For now, I’ll watch a little longer, Bargan concluded temporarily.
“First, I’ll tell you about myself.”
Anna spoke.
This was the first thing she said after they arrived at home and sat around the dining table.
Anna revealed her identity. It was hardly called a profession, but she mostly baked bread and was an ordinary citizen with nothing special.
Her one exceptional point was this.
“I can sense mana.”
“Mana?”
Erica asked, as if needing further explanation.
“Yes. It’s the mysterious power to use magic. To borrow a phrase from Han, it seems I can sense the energy of mana, otherwise known as magical power.”
Anna had no knowledge of magic at all.
According to legend, the first magician did not spread magic to this world, so it was only natural. All the knowledge she had was what Han had told her.
It was fascinating. A person without mana circuits could sense magical power. This was something that could no longer be found in the existing era of novels.
“I was able to find Han because I sensed mana. Suddenly, I noticed a massive presence with great energy appearing within Urna, and I rushed over immediately.”
“Jyo.”
Listening to the story, Vargan expressed his doubts.
“Rushed over in a hurry? I’ve heard that aside from that magician, everyone in this place is a monster. I can’t understand unless they want to die.”
In this world, the enemy is not Altife, but the monsters.
According to a barely credible history, before the first magician defeated the Demon King, monsters had been killing people, and the Twelve Divine Beasts had been leading them.
For Vargan, who loves his familiar, it is a heartbreaking truth, but that rumor is likely true, and monsters are perceived as dangerous beings.
But feeling mana and rushing out? Doesn’t that sound strange?
In response to Vargan’s question, Anna cautiously replied.
“…A while back, the Magic Instructor came to this city, and I felt a pure mana like what I sensed then from Mr. Han. …I wish I could explain it better, but it’s such an abstract feeling that it’s hard to elaborate…”
“Pure mana….”
“I feel pure mana from both of you too. It seems a bit different in form from Mr. Han and the Magic Instructor, though.”
“So, you ran out thinking you were meeting the revered magician, huh?”
“…Yes, that’s right.”
“Why were you looking for the magician?”
This time, Erica asked. Anna couldn’t meet Erica’s sharp gaze properly. It wasn’t that she felt guilty, but she was scared of her piercing demeanor.
Erica continued her line of questioning.
“Considering you came all the way here, it doesn’t seem like it’s just because you wanted to see a hero.”
“…You’re right. I wanted to meet the Magic Instructor because I have an urgent request.”
“Go on. Keep talking.”
Anna clenched her fists on her lap. A brief hesitation before finally taking a deep breath.
“At midnight, monsters will come to Urna.”
It was still broad daylight.
With over ten hours left until midnight, Anna continued.
“They’re not just any monsters… They’re very strong monsters… They’re approaching with a thick and cruel mana like I’ve never felt before.”
Not a horde, but a single monster.
Anna’s complexion turned pale. As she re-acknowledged the power of the approaching entity, fear washed over her.
However, Erica found it hard to believe her words.
“Even if your ability to sense mana is real, there are still over ten hours until then, right? And if it’s a single entity approaching quickly, how is it possible to detect that?”
Vargan quietly observed the conversation.
Erica made a valid point.
Even for elite individuals like Erica and himself, all three of them could feel the mana here.
Just considering the distance, it could be several kilometers, or even dozens or possibly hundreds. If you can sense mana from that far away…
“What she says is true.”
A calm yet firm voice.
Han spoke up.
“Twelve Divine Beasts… A being with power beyond that is coming here.”
At those words, Vargan showed interest and asked.
“What’s your basis?”
“I also possess the same ability as this woman, so I can sense it. It’s thanks to that I noticed the precursor phenomena of this dungeon.”
“Oh ho.”
Isn’t this interesting?
Having recently been in a situation where the Maderello Guild claimed they could sense the precursor phenomena of dungeons, to actually encounter a genuine one here is quite the twist.
I can’t believe we actually met.
I was curious how Han noticed the dungeon’s emergence first, but maybe that’s why.
It turns out he wasn’t just sensitive to the premonitions of the dungeon. His exceptional sensitivity to mana made it possible.
This isn’t information known from the original work, so it’s not part of his divine powers. I do know what powers Han wields.
As he mentioned, the term “constitution” is quite fitting.
However, Vargan pretended he couldn’t fully trust him yet, seeking more information.
“If you had such skills, you should have been cleaning up dungeons long ago. It’s strange that you’re only acting now.”
“……”
Was he hesitant to answer, or just thinking? Han took a moment before revealing.
“I couldn’t find a reason to enter any of the dungeons until now.”
“In other words, there’s a reason to enter this dungeon then.”
Han nodded slightly in response.
Vargan pondered over this.
In the original work, Han had cleared this dungeon alone. Considering he had just mentioned being a force comparable to the Twelve Divine Beasts, he likely had a rough grasp of his full strength.
Yet, he still chose to come to us with Anna?
That means he could win alone but finds it tough or wants to draw us into a trap.
Does he really enjoy solitude and, for now, doesn’t want to oppose humans, only to bring us here for such a reason? He seems to lack the talent for deceiving others as well.
As he formed a hypothesis in his mind, Vargan smirked.
“So that monster is stronger than you, huh?”
“…Yes.”
Just as I thought.
Vargan completed his understanding.
The basic nature of a dungeon remains the same regardless of where one goes inside.
Recalling the hallway at the entrance of this dungeon, enemies appeared tailored to the opponents. Yet, there was a space in the center where everyone could meet, and powerful enemies are said to appear.
Moreover, even though Han was aware of our location, he didn’t rush to capture that monster before we arrived.
‘The strength of the enemies scales with the power of the entrants. Residents who cannot utilize mana.’
That’s why, although the guide had died, Han needed our help.
“Please. Save Urna!”
While Vargan was lost in thought, Anna, who had been quiet, finally revealed her pent-up emotions.
“Nobody believes me. I’ve warned them multiple times as strong monsters approach, but no one listened!”
She had alerted people to the danger early on, but the city dismissed her.
It was to be expected. If everyone suddenly fled, the economy would collapse. They surely couldn’t afford to heed the pleas of an ordinary person.
“Urna is truly a wonderful place. I… I can’t stand to see the people here dying…”
Anna burst into tears.
She grasped Erica’s hand, pleading.
“I’ll give everything I can. After we defeat the monsters, I’ll tell the townsfolk to gather resources as much as possible…”
Please. Help us.
Anna spoke as if in prayer.
To this, Vargan replied,
“Alright then. As the exceedingly benevolent ones, let us offer our assistance.”
He responded with a smile.
“But there’s one condition. Is that alright with you?”
