At Miranda's rare request, we were meeting the person the Guild had insisted we absolutely needed to see.
After being begged with her hands pressed together, we agreed—at least to a meeting—and this was the result—
"So you're the adventurer party she kept talking about? I'm Damian Vare. Ah, no need for introductions. It's a hassle remembering names, and besides... I have no interest, so I'll forget them right away."
His messy green hair was at a length that couldn't really be called long or short.
He wore glasses that seemed somewhat heavy—perhaps some kind of Mana Tool.
Compared to the Fourth Generation, a well-put-together man who also wore glasses, this young man gave the impression of a sloppy, unkempt glasses-wearer.
In his early twenties, small in stature but draped in a robe that gave him a distinctive air, he carried a staff larger than himself slung over his shoulder.
A glance at his equipment made it clear they were all Mana Tools.
But why had we been introduced to someone I had absolutely no desire to meet?
"M-Miranda?"
"I'm sorry! I really am sorry, Laiel. It's just that the professor kept saying he absolutely couldn't wait any longer... I figured if he entered the Dungeon and saw reality, he'd give up."
Novem looked slightly troubled as well.
"The job is to escort Damian and defeat the boss on the fortieth floor underground? However, I can't say we have the capability for something like that."
Aria looked at Damian, and the shock of him not matching the professor she had imagined was evident on her face.
She must have been picturing someone intellectual.
Damian spoke.
"I understand all that. You'd seem to have some individual strength, but the fact that there's only three of you tells me enough. But here's the thing—nobody will take my escort commission. It's infuriating, isn't it? I'm already paying the Guild just to post the commission. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get the higher-ups to fork over the money..."
As he talked, Damian wouldn't meet our eyes, which struck me as extremely rude.
Ignoring Damian as he started grumbling under his breath, I contacted Miranda to confirm the situation.
That was the reason they'd called us here.
"Miranda, is this a commission?"
"It would be a personal commission. I want you to escort the professor into the Dungeon. Adventurers have been taking on the professor's commission to challenge the Dungeon, and I somehow found out about that…"
Damian spoke up to the troubled Miranda.
With a look of exasperation, he launched into complaints about the Adventurers' Guild.
"They just take your money for posting a commission, and then let in a bunch of adventurers who have no intention of completing it. It really is enough to make you sick. This is why you can't trust the Guild. All they'd have to do is provide whatever you request, and that's it."
Did he have any idea how difficult that was?
Then again, he wasn't a professional, so maybe he simply didn't understand the hardships involved.
I weighed whether I should accept the commission.
(What should I do? I guess we could take it, but there's no way we could actually complete this commission. There's only three of us. And we're supposed to tackle the Dungeon with Damian, one of the Seven Worthies? I've got a bad feeling about this.)
It was already hard enough with just us—adding someone we'd have to look after could very well get us killed.
Without consulting Novem or Aria, I was about to refuse.
But then, the Sixth Generation spoke up.
'…Laiel. This is a chance. Accept this commission. Only with conditions, though.'
"Conditions?"
The Sixth Generation's voice was more serious than I'd ever heard, and I swallowed my words, listening closely.
'This is a perfect opportunity to separate Miranda from Shannon. Shannon possesses demonic eyes capable of influencing the mind. Miranda may already be under Shannon's control, or close to it.'
The Sixth Generation, who had always been extremely cautious about Shannon, received agreement from the Fifth Generation.
'If there's even a possibility, it's worth crushing it now. Having Miranda's help when the time comes to reform her would be even better. Let's bring Miranda in on this too. After that, we move into full-scale preparation. Tell Damian as well. If Miranda's participating, we'll take the commission seriously.'
The Fifth Generation seemed motivated too, but I wanted to avoid it because of the danger.
I don't think we can handle something like that right now.
To show my opposition, I touched the Jewel with my fingertip, and the Second Generation found it amusing.
'No motivation, huh? But listen, Lail... the Fifth Generation and the Sixth Generation both said they'd get ready. They never said you had to guard Damian alone.'
The Third Generation offered me some advice.
Both of them were enjoying the situation.
'Take it—it sounds like it'll be interesting. This'll be a good experience for you too, Lail. As for me, I'm curious about Clara. She specializes in support roles, so it wouldn't hurt to talk to her.'
(These guys are actually looking forward to this!)
Just as I was thinking that, the Seventh Generation spoke to me.
'...Lail, accept this commission. And in return, let's make a demand—the Golem magic of the puppeteer Damian.'
The Seventh Generation had taken quite an interest in the Golem, Damian's unique magic.
When I heard the reason, I was floored.
'It's the magic of Damian, who's been called one of the Seven Worthies... this information could sell for a fortune!'
In the end, the Fourth Generation summarized the ancestors' opinions.
'So, our collective decision is to accept the commission. What's your call, Lail?'
While I was deep in thought, Aria called out to me.
"Hey, what's with the serious look? This isn't an impossible commission for us. Just turn it down without pushing yourself—"
"I'll take it. But on one condition."
When I said I'd accept, Novem's expression didn't change at all. It was as though she'd known from the start that I would.
Aria stared at me in surprise.
"W-wait! You were the one who said the plan was to avoid pushing ourselves! There's no way we can take this professor down to floor forty!"
Professor Miranda spoke to Aria.
"Don't overthink it, Aria. All we need is for the professor to understand that the Dungeon is difficult once we're inside —"
But before Miranda could finish, Damian cut her off and turned to look at me.
Up until now, his eyes had been scanning the surroundings, not bothering to look at me at all.
Something must have shifted in his demeanor, because he started grinning.
"Oh? I thought you'd refuse, but it seems you've got some backbone. Very well. I'll commission you all for the job. So... what are your conditions?"
I laid out the conditions that my ancestors had relayed from the Jewel.
"First, I need time. Since we'll be tackling this with an overnight stay in the Dungeon, I'll need three days to prepare. Make sure you set aside time as well. How about one week?"
Damian nodded at my terms.
"Fine. But isn't that a bit short? If I'm just going along for the ride, I won't pay any reward. You'll need to push through at least to floor thirty before I'll consider this a legitimate job."
That wasn't a problem for me.
"That's fine. Second, I need manpower. I'll find some people on my end as well, but I want you to bring Miranda along from your side. If you refuse this, I won't accept the commission."
Needing extra help was only natural, but Damian cocked his head at the request.
"You want her? I'd really prefer you not drag personal entanglements into business... Well, it doesn't seem like that's what you're after. Fine. You — mandatory participation."
Damian looked at Miranda as he spoke.
Miranda glanced at me just once before turning to Damian and telling him it was impossible.
"Professor, I can't! I have to look after my little sister... She can't see, you know. And there aren't any servants around right now either."
But this was Damian, after all, and he wasn't above pulling rank as a professor at the academy.
"Do it, and I'll raise your course credits. I'll also put in a good word that you contributed to the academy. If you refuse... let's see. I simply won't do anything. Yep, I won't do a single thing for you."
Damian said this with a smile on his face, and Miranda hung her head in defeat.
Those words — "I'll do nothing" — may well have been a form of threat from Damian.
I decided to ask for one more thing while I was at it.
"...There's one more condition. I'd like you to look after her younger sister at the hospital. I want her to see a doctor who specializes in eye treatment. I'll cover the costs."
When I mentioned it was for Shannon's treatment, Miranda raised her head.
But her expression was conflicted.
If the treatment were possible, House Cerclie would have already commissioned it.
"She was wealthy, wasn't she? Full recovery wouldn't be impossible, right? I wouldn't know since I'm not interested, but I don't mind just making the introduction."
And then I said.
"How about your specialty magic as payment for this job? You seem to use a magic called Golem. I'd like that as my reward."
I half-expected him to refuse right then, but Damian nodded easily.
Was he not attached to his unique magic, or did he think I wouldn't be able to use it?
"You want it that badly? If that works for you, then I'm grateful since I won't have to dip into my budget. But don't come complaining about it later."
That's when Novem interjected.
"You're surprisingly agreeable about this. Wouldn't Lyle be unable to use it?"
Damian shook his head.
"I think he probably can. The people I taught it to all certainly had their magic 'succeed.' But in the end, every single one of them came back complaining."
This was Damian's magic — elevated to the level of a Skill.
Perhaps others wouldn't achieve much even if they used it.
However, it was a magic impressive enough to earn its user a title.
The Seventh Generation was right — even just knowing about it had value as information.
"I'll ask around my acquaintances too, but I haven't been in Aramsass for long, so even if they join, it'll probably just be one person. On your end, is it just Miranda?"
When I asked if he knew anyone, Damian looked up and started thinking.
"There are plenty of people who want units, but the ones who can actually be of use are that girl over there and maybe a handful at most. People who are actually useful don't need someone else to get units for them, and they won't bend to my threats either."
He didn't seem very reliable.
He gave the impression of being severely lacking as a person, yet this was supposedly one of the eccentric Seven Worthies of the academic city.
There was no question he was brilliant, though.
"Then let's meet here in three days. Until then, we need to prepare—"
As I was about to go over the plan again, Damian left the Guild.
Waving his hand, he called back to us.
"I sometimes stay overnight outside for fieldwork and research, you know? I can handle my own prep, so don't worry about me. What you should be worrying about is making sure *you* have everything ready on your end."
He really did come across as self-centered, but I turned my attention to the person who truly mattered — Miranda.
She was looking at me as though she wanted to say something.
"Did you have something to say?"
"...Why did you mention my name? You know Shannon is available. I was the one who introduced you, sure, but all you needed was to bring the professor into the Dungeon — you could have just done that."
She was worried about leaving Shannon in someone else's care.
To me, she didn't seem like someone whose spirit had been dominated. Or perhaps... was this current state the problem?
(She's always been kind like this — I can't really tell.)
Novem comforted Miranda.
"It'll be fine, Miranda. Shannon is a strong girl, and getting to go outside the mansion for a little while is a good opportunity for her. Staying cooped up all the time won't let her world grow any wider."
"But..."
Then, Aria confronted me.
Unlike Novem, this one was clearly against my opinion.
"Why did you accept this commission? Even the reward magic can only be used by that professor — you'd understand that after hearing what we just discussed!"
I didn't want to take this commission either, but considering Shannon's situation, I wanted to keep her away from Miranda.
Besides, it happened to be a good opportunity to ask for her cooperation.
The Sixth Generation spoke up.
"If you try to act on Shannon's side to reform her, she'll definitely notice. This was the right move. In the Dungeon, even Shannon can't interfere."
The Fifth Generation agreed.
However, it seems reforming Shannon wasn't the only objective here.
"While we're at it, let's have Lyle 'grow' a bit too. Even if we're going to face Shannon, it'll be tough with the current mana restrictions."
The Fifth Generation began coming up with excuses to keep Shannon at a distance, saying it would be problematic if Shannon was in the mansion during the stage when they needed to exit the Dungeon and grow.
The Second Generation, for his part, didn't seem to be taking Shannon's situation all that seriously.
"Personally, I'd like Lyle to take this opportunity to grow. If you think about what lies ahead, it'll be rough if he doesn't get stronger around this point."
The Fourth Generation agreed.
They seemed to want me to grow stronger in the Dungeon, but when it came to Shannon, they harbored doubts.
"There have always been people who trained in Dungeons. Wait — are you saying Shannon is a candidate for a monster, like the Fifth and Sixth Generations said? In my opinion, she doesn't seem like one at all. Is Ceres special?"
I let out a sigh, then spoke to Aria.
"...It's for Miranda's sake."
"For Miranda?"
Having said that much, and with preparations still to make, we decided to get moving.
Three days later.
I showed up at the Guild and spotted Clara, who was loaded down with luggage, and waved at her.
Despite her small frame, she was carrying a rather large pack on her back, yet she walked along as if it were nothing.
Some of the newer adventurers stared at the sight with open curiosity.
"You're right on time."
This time around, I'd asked Clara to serve as our support.
I'd half-expected her to put up a fight, but Clara agreed right away.
As for payment, we were covering the expenses ourselves.
Clara looked us over.
Well, more precisely, she looked at what we were wearing.
I had only a bit more luggage than usual, and the same went for Novem and Aria.
To someone planning an overnight delve into the Dungeon, our load must have looked far too light.
"Your luggage seems light, doesn't it? I did tell you beforehand how much you'd need, didn't I?"
Clara wore a somewhat dissatisfied expression—she probably thought we were taking the Dungeon far too lightly.
I told her it was a misunderstanding and gestured toward a wooden crate sitting nearby.
"You brought a wooden crate? You expect to carry that thing on your backs?"
She gave me a look that plainly said it was inefficient.
I answered with a wry smile.
"No, we'll load it up once everyone's gathered, in a place where no one's watching—"
The moment I said that, the adventurers heading toward the Guild erupted into a commotion.
"Hey, Damian's here!"
"A parade of puppets, huh?"
"Heard he's taking on the Dungeon. Would've been easier if he'd just gone himself from the start."
Wondering what all the commotion was about, I looked toward the source of the noise, and Clara explained it to me.
Both Novem and Aria had expressions of disbelief on their faces as they watched the adventurers parting to clear the road.
Well, Novem was her usual self, actually.
"So this is the puppeteer Damian's parade. How rare—we got to see something special today. Coming just for this might have been worth it. Since it's Damian who controls the puppets he creates, things like this are possible, aren't they?"
My eyes widened, and I noticed my ancestors were surprised too.
The Second Generation spoke up.
"Wait wait, this is Damian's magic!?"
The Third Generation murmured quietly.
"I see. No wonder everyone wants it."
The Fourth Generation agreed.
"Seeing this, you can understand its value. The fact that it hasn't spread must mean there's some kind of problem with it."
The Fifth Generation was a little excited.
"War golems made of iron, huh? If you sent a squad charging with these, the enemy wouldn't stand a chance."
The Sixth Generation seemed to be looking at Miranda, who was walking alongside them.
"…Clothes that move better than what she usually wears. She's beautiful, just like Mireia."
I wondered just how much he had cherished Mireia.
He was the only one looking somewhere completely different from everyone else.
The Seventh Generation was dumbfounded as well.
"Really? You think most people would be drawn to the moving armor?"
The Seventh Generation was right.
Full suits of armor were walking behind Damian, carrying weapons and luggage.
At first glance, it looked like Damian was leading a squad of knights. But those suits of armor weren't the kind meant for people to wear.
The limbs were oversized, while the torso and head were made disproportionately small.
Their body proportions were all wrong.
"...So he's a puppeteer — animating puppets he built from the start," I murmured.
Novem nodded in agreement.
"He's incredible. Is he really controlling all of those by himself?"
Damian had four puppets with him.
One was carrying a large load, and the rest had bags slung over their shoulders while holding weapons in their hands.
Miranda, who was walking alongside them, looked a little embarrassed.
(After dropping Shannon off at the hospital, he said he was going to pick up the professor... but maybe that wasn't necessary after all.)
Perhaps he'd been looking forward to tackling the Dungeon — Damian was there with more energy than the last time I'd seen him.
"Good morning, everyone! Perfect weather for a Dungeon dive!"
Hearing Damian's high-spirited words, I looked up at the sky.
It was overcast today.
Aria was exasperated.
"Since when does the weather have anything to do with the Dungeon?"
As he said that, Damian adjusted the position of his glasses with his finger.
I couldn't help but think that was a gesture the Fourth Generation did all the time, too...
"No connection? How can you say that so confidently? Some adventurers might decide not to challenge the Dungeon today because the weather's bad. Adventurers who go outside are especially affected by the weather. And some of them might end up heading to the tavern with that crowd. What's more, there are bound to be people who think about going to the Dungeon when it rains. See, the weather matters even when you're challenging the Dungeon."
Damian's argument had some merit, but being lectured like that was just tiresome.
Besides, honestly, it was a hassle.
Damian, like Clara, looked at us and took on a slightly more serious expression.
"I heard you'd challenged the Dungeon before?"
He must have thought our lack of luggage meant we weren't taking this seriously.
That was probably what he'd concluded.
I sighed and pointed to a wooden crate piled up nearby.
"That's all our luggage."
At that, Damian nodded.
"I see... That's quite inefficient. I could have my puppet carry things for you, but that would cut into our fighting strength..."
At his words, I asked Damian to move somewhere with fewer people around.
If we could get to an empty room inside the Dungeon, I could use the Seventh Generation's Skill [Box] there.
"Put those explanations aside for now—is everyone here? Good. Then let's head to the Dungeon right away. The first through third basement floors have a lot of adventurers. And there's barely any fighting up to the fifth floor, apparently, so let's take a break once we get there."
At my suggestion, Damian nodded with a grin.
"Nice. So you're doing the advance work for us. The Guild and adventurers are actually useful once in a while, aren't they?"
To be precise, Damian was also an adventurer.
He held a Guild Card.
Ignoring Damian, who was enjoying himself, I approached Miranda.
Miranda seemed restless, probably worried about Shannon.
"What's wrong?"
"Hm? Oh, it's just Shannon, you know. She really didn't want to be hospitalized—it reminded her of the past, apparently..."
I had explained the situation three days ago.
She had seemed to accept it at the time, but had Miranda resisted when she was alone?
Thinking about it, Miranda might not be under Shannon's control after all.
The Sixth Generation looked relieved.
'Alright! That means the first phase is a success!'
I had succeeded in separating Miranda from Shannon, but the commission I had taken on was to take Damian down to defeat the boss on the fortieth floor of the Dungeon.
For the Sixth Generation, that was probably less important than Miranda.
(Mireia... I wonder if the Sixth Generation caused her all sorts of trouble?)
Seeing how obsessed he was, I was starting to worry that he must have been a bother in some way or another.
Even if it was all in the past now.
"This is a good opportunity. For Shannon, and for Miranda, both."
"For me as well?"
Miranda looked at me, puzzled. I offered the excuse I had prepared in advance.
"Well, maybe not to the point of being too dependent on each other, but why not trust each other a little more? Shannon is stronger than she looks... much more resilient than her appearance suggests."
I couldn't quite bring myself to call her scheming beneath the surface, even if her meager image didn't quite tell the whole story.
When Aria approached me, she told me not to worry about Miranda.
"That's right, Miranda. You have to trust her a little. Besides, this is a hospital, so you'll be able to get proper care here."
If I didn't get treated, that would be a problem.
That's exactly why I paid the gold coins.
Since I was introduced through Damian, they must have been considerate enough to prepare a private room for us.
Thanks to that, the expenses ended up being more than I'd expected.
(The most I've spent in a while. I also picked up some spare weapons and such.)
Damian's dolls lifted a wooden crate.
Inside were water, food, and even spare weapons among other things.
(Well, convincing Miranda is the main objective, but I'd also like to pull off Damian's request somehow.)
Damian hurried us along.
"Let's move quickly. Time is finite and precious. We can't waste it in a place like this."
I let out a sigh.
Then Novem came to comfort me.
"Let's go, Lord Rael. It'll be fine. We've been preparing for this day, after all."
I nodded and followed behind Damian, who had started humming a tune.
At my side was Novem.
Behind her came Miranda, then Aria, and finally Clara.
For a party heading into Aramsass's Dungeon, we probably looked like a pretty unreliable group to anyone watching.
But our ancestors were different.
In a lighthearted tone, the Second Generation—
'Will it take a whole week? Five days should be plenty.'
The Third Generation said.
'Persuading Miranda might be the harder part, though.'
The Fourth Generation added.
'Probably. Lyle's probably gotten some distance after that last incident... Could've handled it better, damn it!'
He clicked his tongue in frustration.
The Fifth Generation said.
'Within a week at most, beat the 40th floor boss, and then convince Miranda, right? Convinced Miranda'll be tougher, but it should be a walk in the park.'
Just as the Fifth Generation said, Miranda had stopped talking to me the way she used to lately.
That was because I'd more or less forced Shannon into the hospital.
(I should've handled it better.)
It was too late for regrets, but the Sixth Generation spoke up.
'Lyle. I don't care one way or the other about Damian's magic, but you absolutely have to convince Miranda. Got it?'
I could picture the stern-faced Sixth Generation putting the pressure on me.
I shook my head.
Novem, walking beside me, noticed and asked if I was okay, so I smiled and told her everything was fine.
Lastly, the Seventh Generation chimed in.
'With Damian's magic, we could pull off a tactic of charging with just the armor. Depending on the situation, even a handful of soldiers could take on double the number of enemies... Oh, I'm looking forward to it!'
This commission had two things riding on it — Damian's request and my ancestors' own agenda.
I couldn't help but wonder whether I could handle both, and a knot of anxiety tightened in my chest.