For Sale. Fallen Lady. Never Used.

When we emerged from the dungeon, it was already the dim dawn.

It would be difficult to stop by the mansion again; heading straight to the dormitory to rest a bit before attending class seemed best.

I hastened my steps with my companions, sighing deeply.

I lacked sleep, but I suppose I could manage with an energy potion.

If it were a high-grade potion, there were no aftereffects.

Of course, that didn’t mean one should overuse them.

Even if there were no direct side effects from the potion, there were issues that arise simply because one was human.

For example, in the case of energy potions, minor issues like disrupted sleep patterns could occur.

Similarly, if a severed wound was healed with a potion, one might suffer from phantom pain for a while.

If healed by a priest’s holy power, just as there was no phantom pain, fatigue also disappears as if blessed, with no issues whatsoever.

…Maybe I should just ask Helena before going to class later.

Yeah, that sounds good.

After all, wasn’t I a noble of the Church of Righteous Radiance?

Walking and humming a tune without realizing, relieved of one worry, Iris approached with her short legs trotting quickly.

“Master.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“It’s a bit late to say this… but Master, you knew the way through that complicated maze-like dungeon all along.”

“Well, yes?”

Through various experiences, the future I knew had twisted a bit, but there were things that remain unchanged.

One of those things was the location and structure of dungeons.

That was something not even a cultist could manipulate artificially.

At most, they could hide the existence of a dungeon or fill the entrance with traps if they entered first.

And that was only something they could do with dungeons they’d discovered first.

I shrugged my shoulders lightly with a positive meaning, and Iris tilted her small head to the side.

“Then, I’m a bit puzzled. If you know the dungeons so thoroughly, finding even the hidden treasures… why haven’t you cleared them yet?”

“……”

Uh, well. I hadn’t thought that far.

If I had to say, it was because there were not enough members to clear it, since we were the founding members.

But I couldn’t tell the truth, so I decided to buy time with a plausible explanation.

“It’s not about clearing the dungeons.”

“Eh?”

Iris blinked her blue eyes, similar to Elisha’s, not quite understanding.

Truthfully, I wasn’t quite sure what I was saying either, so I just continued as best as I could.

“What do you think is the reason for clearing dungeons?”

“To completely send the dungeon into the depths of space and time. If left alone, whether over time or due to the rituals of cultists, monsters will be released.”

“Right. So why can’t we let the monsters be released?”

“Well, because… fighting all those creatures would cause harm, and the cultists’ forces would be replenished, so it’s better to stop it when we can… Wait a minute.”

Iris, taken aback by the continuous questions, suddenly stiffened her face.

Then, staring blankly at my face, she began to mutter to herself.

“No, could it be… But if not this, there’s no other reason. The very fact of hiding in the shadows… “

“Iris?”

“Above all, if it’s the Master… the first Lindelheit… the dragon’s legacy… the extermination of Evil Gods…”

The scale of her muttering was gradually increasing.

I wouldn’t deny that I had hoped she would interpret things broadly as before, but I didn’t expect it to go this far.

Just as I was getting a bit anxious about what conclusion she had reached, Iris, with her focus returned, nodded vigorously as if she understood.

“Now I see. The Master… The Master’s companions and ancestors. They were truly intent on killing the Evil Gods.”

“…Huh?”

“Keeping track of as many dungeons as possible, recording the strategies but not clearing them, leaving them untouched. All so that one day, the rewards can be given to someone capable of defeating the Evil Gods. Admirable. Rather than having several moderately strong individuals, having one overwhelmingly strong individual is more important.”

“……”

How did they arrive at this conclusion?

“The rewards from dungeons are ultimately fragments of divine power that the Good Gods failed to reclaim. In other words, pieces of sanctity. By collecting and accumulating these, one could approach divinity. Even if it’s a patchwork sanctity that doesn’t make one a god, with that power alone…”

“Yeah, roughly something like that.”

It seemed a bit exaggerated, but looking at the conclusion alone, Iris’s words were correct.

Gathering dungeon rewards to create a synergy build, achieving feats to increase stats.

Repeating this several times to ultimately defeat the apostles of the Evil Gods and even the Evil Gods themselves.

That was the basic framework of H&A.

Even the most talented would meet their demise if left alone.

That was why dungeons must be consistently cleared whenever possible.

“Even if the seal of the Evil Gods is broken, a god cannot descend. So, we will create a new god on this land…”

Maybe the reason Iris thought of was the true intent of the entity that created H&A, spread it on Earth, and abducted me into this world.

“Bold and radical, but surprisingly, it’s a feasible method.”

“…Indeed.”

It was so plausible that I was starting to wonder if that was the real reason.

Seeing my ambiguous expression, Iris hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth.

“And Master is that ultimate talent.”

“No, the last resort.”

If I failed, there would be no next step.

Not only would the world be doomed, but if I died, that would be the end.

Perhaps it was because I was thinking about the transcendent being that brought me to this world.

I inadvertently gave a somewhat cynical response.

Realizing my tone, I turned to add something, but…

“Master…”

It was too late, and Iris was looking at me with moist eyes.

Her face was full of sympathy, as if she had witnessed something truly pitiful.

Just as I was about to shake my head to clear the serious misunderstanding,

Iris moved faster than I could.

She stopped in place and spread her arms wide open.

“Hug me.”

“…What?”

“If you won’t come, then I’ll go to you.”

Iris ran towards me with her arms outstretched, flapping them.

As if she were a flying squirrel, she even made a leap, prompting me to reflexively extend my arms and catch her.

Thump.

Then, as if she had been waiting for this moment, Iris wrapped her arms and legs around me, hugging me tightly.

I felt the softness, with a small but definite presence, against my face.

The forest-like scent that seeped deep into my lungs.

And the reassuring warmth and gentle touch that I had only felt when I was very young.

Iris, who always hated being called high and mighty, not only initiated the hug but also carefully patted my head.

“Don’t worry. If I am Master’s companion, then Master’s burden is also my burden. After all, I’m not the only companion of the Master.”

“……”

“It will all work out. Not just me… We will make it happen.”

A voice as tender as if comforting a child.

…I see why Iris insisted on not being treated like a child.

Honestly, it felt good, but it also invoked a strange sense of defiance.

But I couldn’t put Iris down.

Not only because it was too late to say it wasn’t like that, and she probably wouldn’t believe me anyway, but actually because this ridiculous hug was genuinely soothing my heart.

Maybe I was feeling more pressure than I realized.

In the end, instead of letting go of Iris, I slowly moved my hand to support her hips, making it more comfortable for her to cling to me.

Thus, Iris and I walked down the street, stuck together like glue, until it was time to part.

---

“Alright then.”

Perhaps because her body was naturally light, Iris landed on the ground with graceful movements.

At the crossroads leading to the mansion and the academy, Iris chuckled.

“Master, if you’re going to miss me that much, you should ask the other kids for a hug.”

“What are you talking about? It’s not like that. I’m just thinking I won’t see you for a while, that’s all.”

“Hmm. It’s definitely regrettable that we can only meet on weekends. We won’t be able to see Master and Elisha until 5 days later.”

“And with the exams coming up, it’ll be hard to do anything together, even if we do see each other.”

“Exam period…? Oh, right. Despite being adept at clearing dungeons, you’re still in your first year.”

In terms of simple combat power, I was somewhere between a lower and a middle magician.

Even the highest grade at the academy wouldn’t match up to me now, but… in every area other than combat, I was just a slightly above-average first-year student.

“The more I learn magic, the more I realize… it’s not good to just focus on increasing one’s level superficially or only learning high-destructive spells. It might not matter at first, but it could become poison later on.”

“Oh…! Well said. In anything, the basics are important. In that aspect, learning from the academy would be much more helpful than from me or Lady Lindelheit. That’s why I sent Elisha to the academy, after all.”

Pleased, Iris nodded, and then, as if she remembered something, she belatedly took out a crystal ball the size of a human face from her subspace pocket.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a communication crystal. I made one in my spare time. With this, you can contact me even from the academy.”

Then, she grinned mischievously.

“Whenever you want to see me, just contact me. Elisha, you too. You’re not planning to neglect your teacher for the Master, are you?”

“How could you say that? I’ll contact you every night before I sleep, so make sure you properly receive my calls.”

Elisha grumbled, seemingly feeling slighted.

After a brief exchange, I bid Iris goodbye.

“The budget left by the Master is still ample, so I’ll try to complete a robe set for each person as much as possible by then.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. It’s not that urgent.”

“What are you talking about? It’s just making a few more magical tools that I already know how to make. With the budget issue resolved, it’s not too much to handle.”

I chuckled at Iris, who confidently puffed out her nonexistent chest.

“That’s good to hear. …See you next week.”

“Hmm! See you next week!”

Watching Iris walk away with small steps, I then turned my attention to the other ladies.

“Let’s head back now.”

Back to the academy.

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