The people who entered the Menesteil Dungeon were the three I had been with so far.
Me, Karl, and Alsetin.
Originally, I had planned to include a water-type mage that Nick had recommended, but that fell through.
Word had spread about what I did to Meg on Menesteil Street.
Although it wasn’t publicly discussed due to the disgrace of the Count’s eldest son, there wasn’t a single person living on the street who didn’t know about it.
Given the situation, those who worked in the Menesteil Dungeon naturally began to avoid me.
Even though Meg was a nasty piece of work, he was still the heir of the Georg family.
If I made an enemy of him, my life in Menesteil would become miserable.
I was just a passerby, but the adventurers of Menesteil were those who settled down and lived here.
They dared not act in a way that would antagonize Meg. Because of this, I failed to recruit the mage.
It wasn’t a huge issue. The mage was merely a convenience for our breakthrough.
If I didn’t have one, I would just have to struggle a bit more. I stood at the entrance to the 46th floor and scanned the surroundings.
“We’re going to the place where the Evil God is sealed.”
“Are you nervous, Alsetin?”
“Of course I am. You’re the strange one, smiling as if this is enjoyable, Karl.”
I had already informed the two about where we were heading.
If we suddenly arrived at the place where the Evil God was sealed, it was certain they would be shocked.
When I told Alsetin that I had received a revelation from the deity and we were heading toward the sealed location of the Evil God, his reaction was as expected.
He was undoubtedly taken aback, but when I told him we had to go there to meet his master, he nodded in resignation.
However, Karl's response was unexpected.
I thought he would feel fear at the mention of the Evil God, even if he was a bit odd. But that wasn’t the case.
‘After all, my lady is headed there, isn’t she? So of course, I must accompany you!’
Karl shouted this, resembling a loyal large dog, shrugging his shoulders.
His confidence was so reassuring that I almost absentmindedly patted his head.
Recalling the events of yesterday as I surveyed the area, I spotted a marker that confirmed my location and nodded.
Good. I have a rough idea of where I am.
Let’s move.
<The malevolent energy is getting stronger as we go.>
As we progressed toward the sealed location of the Evil God, the old man spoke.
‘Aren’t you used to this, old man?’
He was someone who had once fought the Evil God on the front lines. This energy must be tiresome for him.
<Yes, you’re right. It’s not just familiar; it’s tiresome.>
There were various thick emotions tied to the words of his past. They were so profound that I could feel them without him having to say more.
<To be honest, I still don’t know if this is the right thing to do. It’s too dangerous.>
‘But the deity gave you a revelation. It’ll be alright.’
The old man worries too much.
Most of the danger I’ve faced has come from unexpected variables.
Have I ever gotten into trouble when I made the best preparations without any variables?
Especially in this case, I had prepared for any eventuality, so there should be no room for problems.
<That would be nice...>
‘It’s going to be fine.’
As I reassured the old man and walked forward, a wall soon blocked our path.
“Lady Alrn, it seems you’re nervous too. It’s surprising to see you make such a mistake.”
Alsetin, seeing the dead end, seemed to think I had taken a wrong turn.
‘This isn’t a mistake.’
“Of course, it would look like a mistake to your inexperienced eyes, Information Dealer. It’s truly pathetic.”
I had come here so many times during the true ending speedrun that there was no way I could forget it.
I lightly shot a glare at Alsetin and pulled a potion from my inventory.
What was contained within was holy water blessed by Faibi.
While it was true that she was a saint made by the church, it was also true that she possessed abilities worthy of being called a saint.
The holy water blessed by her is the best at driving away the Evil God’s energy.
As I opened the vial and sprinkled the liquid on the wall, it immediately began to soften and melt away, spreading out like ice cream.
“What the...?”
Alsetin blinked in surprise at the suddenly revealed passage.
As a thief, he prided himself on knowing all the hidden doors, so he had no choice but to be astonished at the existence of a gimmick he didn’t know about.
I was the same way.
A passage that couldn’t be found even by maxed-out thief classes. A place that could only be discovered after completing all related storylines.
I had been so furious when I discovered this place while racing to be the first to see the true ending.
Isn’t it common sense to place hidden passages at the final floor? I had yelled so loudly that the neighbors had filed complaints!
Even now, it’s not a pleasant memory. It was truly frustrating.
Before entering, I pulled another item from my inventory.
An earring that protects the wearer from the Evil God’s energy.
This too was a gift from Faibi.
Originally, I would have to pay a hefty sum for something inferior to this, but when I asked Faibi, she resolved it instantly.
It wasn’t even possible in the game!
The real-life saint is more of a cheat character than in the game.
“Let’s go.”
“Let’s go.”
The dungeon where the Evil God is sealed is classified as a hidden dungeon that exists individually.
This holds multiple meanings, but the important point is one.
There are no adventurers here.
This means I can control all the variables in this place.
As expected of a place where hidden bosses dwell, the monsters appearing here are as strong as those found between levels 60 and 70.
Even Karl would struggle to handle the hordes alone.
But what does it matter if they’re strong? I have no intention of fighting them.
I’ll show them the route I crafted through countless studies!
It was bizarre.
“Don’t mind the old junk rock in front, just run past it!”
Alsetin thought desperately as he followed Lucy closely.
“There’s a trap where the ground collapses ahead! Jump over it!”
Lady Alrn had mentioned that her master was here.
Upon hearing that, I had thought that he must be working to prevent the seal of the Evil God from breaking.
He had pursued the light in the darkness. If he were alive, he would surely be working for the world.
“Pathetic! Freeze for two seconds! Then, run again...”
I also thought that I might see the corpse of my dead master.
No, I was in denial, but I actually thought that was far more likely.
The complete severance of any traces of those who had visited the Evil God’s sealed place must mean that.
And with Lady Alrn’s warning not to be surprised by anything I saw.
If I had to be honest, it would be reasonable to consider my master dead.
“Run! Pathetic fools!”
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Alsetin thought it didn’t matter which way they went.
If he were alive, he would be overjoyed, and if he saw his corpse, it would surely be sorrowful, but he could create a grave for him and find closure in his heart.
In any case, as long as he could meet him, that was enough for Alsetin.
“On the count of three, jump down! You’re not such cowards that you can’t even do that!”
However, strangely enough, since entering this place, Lady Alrn hadn’t mentioned her master even once.
She seemed solely focused on traversing the dungeon.
Why was that? The first thing that crossed Alsetin’s mind was doubt.
That Lucy had brought up her master’s name to use him.
But Alsetin immediately shook his head.
If that were the case, she wouldn’t even mention wanting to meet him.
Next, he wondered if Lady Alrn didn’t know the precise location.
Alsetin shook his head again.
This woman had always shown her abilities without hiding them. There was no way she wouldn’t know that her master existed in the dungeon.
Then—
“Information Dealer! What are you doing!”
As Alsetin’s thoughts continued to spiral, Lucy shouted at him.
Only then did Alsetin notice the flames falling above him.
Oh no. It was too late to avoid them.
Then, he would have to take it with his arm to minimize the damage...
Just as Alsetin was bracing himself to take the flames, Lucy pulled his neck and used her body as a shield.
Boom!
The flames struck the shield, creating a massive shockwave, but the shield held firm.
“Pathetic Information Dealer♡ Are you doing this on purpose to get beat up?♡ You’re even more of a pervert than our pathetic dog, aren’t you?♡ Should I put a collar on you and drag you around?♡”
“I’m sorry. I’ll focus.”
...For now, let’s focus on moving through the dungeon.
I can’t become someone worse than that perverted knight.
Thanks to Lucy Alrn’s near miraculous leadership, they reached the boss room without even a single battle. Afterward, Alsetin approached Lucy, who was resting against the wall.
“What’s up? Are you mad at the Information Dealer?”
“...Lady Alrn, I have something I’d like to ask.”
“About your foolish master, right?”
“Yes. It’s not that I doubt the lady.”
“You’ll see soon. Patience, you pathetic one.”
As Lucy spoke, she gazed past the door to the boss room.
Alsetin wasn’t so oblivious that he didn’t realize what that meant.
“Is my master beyond that door?”
“You’re not completely clueless, huh? Better than a dog. Still less than a human.”
The fact that his master was beyond the boss room meant—
Ha. Is that so?
Was he fighting there and ended up dying?
Had he lost his life pursuing his ideals?
Was he working for the world as a shadow?
...What a stubborn woman she was until the end. She taught me to always be sharp, yet here she is, doing something so foolish.
Understanding the situation, Alsetin didn’t ask Lucy any further questions, and she didn’t feel the need to say more either.
Instead, Lucy explained how they should proceed when they entered the boss room.
How to tackle the boss they were about to face.
The various attacks the boss would use and how to counter them.
What to do if unexpected crisis situations arose.
Her strategies, as a seasoned commander, were clear enough to impress not just Alsetin, but even Karl.
This raid seemed certain to end just as easily as always.
“Pathetic fools. Rise up. It’s time to move.”
Once all the explanations were complete, it was time to enter the boss room.
Karl enveloped his sword in aura and took a deep breath, Alsetin checked his arrows and various tools while biting his lip, and Lucy, as usual, pushed open the door to the boss room with a blank expression.
“Who dares to interrupt me, you pathetic fools?”
At that moment, Alsetin found himself face-to-face with the master he had been told about by Lucy.
It was unavoidable.
That was because the woman standing in the center of the boss room was undoubtedly—
His master.
Karia.
“Lady Alrn. What the hell is going on...”
“Shut up. It’s distracting.”
Alsetin, who had opened his mouth in confusion, turned his head at Lucy’s sharp voice.
Lucy Alrn was biting her lip.