Arc-7 Ch-20

The interior of the dungeon was more orderly than I had expected.

At the very least, there was far less plant overgrowth compared to the ancient ruin where the little sphere had been sleeping, and I could not see any noticeable rust or corrosion on the walls or floor.

They had probably carefully maintained it so that tourists who visited would not get injured, while deliberately leaving the plants in areas that would not affect the dungeon itself.

From my experience exploring a real ruin alone, the memories of going on adventures multiple times because Angie invited me, and the unnatural feeling I could recognize because the Bartfort territory has hot springs as a major tourism resource that brings in significant revenue.

There is no risk to life and no new discoveries. This dungeon is nothing more than an entertainment facility built on novelty and pretense.

It is utterly unthinkable that monsters would naturally spawn in such an artificial place, let alone attack humans.

But unless I investigate, the truth will remain shrouded in darkness. Moreover, standing by idly while Angie still has not returned from the dungeon did not suit my nature at all.

“…What do you think, little sphere?”

“… ”

“At least answer me.”

“…If I do, your son and daughter will become aware of my existence, you know?”

“The situation is what it is. Cut me some slack on that much.”

“I do have a certain degree of trust toward you and Angelica. However, at the present moment, there is absolutely no basis for me to trust those children. I believe it would be prudent to refrain from careless actions.”

“I will properly explain things to the two of them later.”

“I will take that into consideration.”

Honestly, has there ever been even a single time in these past ten years when the little sphere obediently listened to my suggestion?

On top of that, the reason for refusing is always perfectly logical, so I have no choice but to reluctantly accept it or somehow offer a quid pro quo to get it to agree.

However, this time there is a possibility that a survivor of the old humans, the same origin as the little sphere, or some other lost item kin is involved.

To ensure Angie’s safety, the little sphere’s cooperation is absolutely indispensable.

Conversely, if this dungeon is connected to the new humans who were at odds with the old humans long ago, it might suddenly fly into a rage and start destroying everything.

Compared to a scary wife or unidentified monsters, the little sphere is dozens of times more difficult to handle.

It seems our conversation is not reaching the children walking ahead.

The two of them are carefully advancing through the dungeon while holding their pistols at the ready, guiding me along.

I felt they were walking far too slowly, but in the current situation where we do not know where the monsters might be lurking, there is no such thing as being too cautious.

It is painful that tourists visiting the elven village are prohibited by law from bringing in high-lethality firearms.

Killing monsters with small, concealable self-defense pistols is an extremely difficult task.

While I, having come close to death many times on the battlefield and having adventured with Angie, might manage, Lionel and Ariel have only received training and have no actual combat experience.

Watching them advance through the dungeon with hesitant, withdrawn postures made me, the one watching, feel more anxious than they probably did.

It might have been better to have the subordinates who were guarding the younger children come over here instead, but doing so would leave the protection of the four younger children and the ship in a precarious state.

My attempt to disguise myself as a tourist ended up being in vain. The next time something like this happens, I will secure proper military forces before heading to the scene.

While I was walking along, brooding and regretting, the two in front suddenly stopped and began looking around.

Their expressions, as they constantly checked the surroundings, were tense. It appeared that an unexpected situation had occurred.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“This is where the adventurer who was attacked by monsters collapsed, and this should be where Mother fought, but…”

“The scenery feels somehow different. It looks like this might not be the same place.”

“Could we have taken a wrong turn?”

“There were no branching paths up to this point, so I think that’s impossible.”

“But if you asked me if this is definitely the place, I’m not confident.”

It seemed we had reached the intended destination, but both of them appeared confused and unsure because the surroundings felt off.

For inexperienced adventurers to return to the entrance while carrying an injured person after being attacked by monsters at an unfamiliar location on their first visit, then head back to the same spot again.

Since they are my children, I want to believe their testimony, but precisely at times like this, I have to handle things calmly.

The more panicked we become, the worse the situation gets. The top priority is to calmly investigate the site.

“You’re absolutely sure this is the place, right?”

“I think so, but…”

“Is there any trace left behind?”

“There don’t seem to be any signs that Mother fought here.”

“But wouldn’t there be monster corpses left if they were defeated?”

“You were taught that monster corpses don’t remain after they’re defeated, right?”

Lionel calmly refuted Ariel’s thought, and his reasoning was based on common adventurer knowledge.

It is an absolute rule of this world that monster corpses do not remain after defeat.

The biggest reason research on monsters has not advanced compared to animals is precisely because the corpses disappear.

Not only flesh and bones vanish; even dissection is impossible. If someone dived into a dungeon nonstop all day every day, they might be able to observe them in detail, but no scholar is eccentric enough to do that.

If someone is smart and strong, they would have a higher chance of success by becoming an adventurer rather than a scholar.

During my time in the military, I exterminated wild monsters, and when adventuring with Anige, I defeated many different kinds of monsters.

Beast-like monsters, bird-like monsters, fish-like monsters, insect-like monsters.

Although their appearances are completely different, every single one turns into black mist and disappears upon defeat.

This has been an eternal mystery that various researchers have challenged since ancient times. There is even a theory that “monsters are the same existence despite differing appearances.”

If the monsters that fought Angie were the same, then it would be perfectly natural for no corpses to remain. However, something felt off. My intuition was denying that possibility.

I busily sniffed the air to check the surrounding odors, then removed my gloves and touched the floor.

A faint lingering scent reached me, the distinctive smell I had smelled countless times on battlefields. When I touched several spots on the floor, I felt an oddly sticky texture.

When I carefully examined the nearby growing plants, I found several black spots.

“It seems there’s no mistake after all.”

“How can you tell?”

“Traces of combat don’t disappear so easily. Angie uses fire magic, so the place where she fought retains a distinctive heat. The air around here feels strangely lukewarm, and I can tell.”

“I think that’s a weak reason.”

“And the smell of burned internal organs and viscera is still lingering. When people or animals die in intense battles, the internal organs and fat burn and produce a strong, unpleasant odor that clings to your nose for days. Only those who have experienced it can understand.”

“Ugh…”

“Also, there are bloodstains on the undersides of the plant leaves. When monsters die, not only their flesh and bones but also their blood turns into mist and disappears. The sticky spots on the floor are caused by blood and fat.”

“Father, you deduced all that?”

“In short, it’s just experience. When corpses become so familiar that your eyes, nose, and ears feel like they’re rotting, you can’t help but notice.”

It’s a hateful thing that an experience I never wanted turns out to be useful only at times like this. But this deduction is, after all, only my personal opinion. I need to prove it is definitely correct.

Normally, I would have to bring in a specialist capable of detailed analysis, but fortunately, the being with the world’s highest level of analysis and investigation capability was conveniently right by my side.

“Hey, little sphere, come out for a second.”

“… ”

“Come out already.”

“…Father, why are you yelling at empty space?”

“Stop it. Since we can’t find Mother, he’s just panicking a little and acting weird. Be kind and overlook it.”

Hurry up and show yourself, little sphere.

If the two of them start thinking “our father has gone a bit crazy,” my dignity will be completely ruined.

There’s no time to dawdle. Moving through a dungeon where the situation with Angie is unknown and unidentified monsters are roaming, with amateur children in tow, is far too dangerous.

It seemed the little sphere had finally given up on bluffing its way through. When it canceled its transparency, a metallic sphere appeared silently in the space right beside me.

At the sudden development, the two froze with shocked expressions for several seconds. The moment their awareness returned, they pointed their pistols straight at the little sphere.

"Hey! Stop it!"

"You're in the way, Father!"

"Father, move! I can't shoot it like this!"

I desperately try to stop the children who are frantically attempting to shoot the little sphere. I am also panicking over the search for Angie, so I cannot find the right words, and persuading them is difficult.

On the other hand, the little sphere ignores us making a racket in the middle of the passage and flies around here and there.

To an outside observer, it might look like it is simply floating, but from our long association, I know that the little sphere is investigating special traces that we humans cannot perceive.

The time it took for me to calm the children was roughly the same as the time it took for the little sphere to finish its investigation.

"I warned you. The one who created this situation is you, Leon Fou Bartfort."

"Shut up. The situation is what it is, so it can't be helped."

"What the heck is this thing? Can I shoot it after all?"

"I told you to stop."

"But what is it really?"

"It's a lost item with a will of its own. It occasionally helps me with my work."

"My relationship with Leon Fou Bartfort is strictly that of a collaborator. There is no master-servant dynamic. I do not wish to be treated as a mere tool."

"I get it already. So, what were the results?"

"Just as you deduced. Traces of heat reactions and minute organic tissue were detected. There is no doubt that combat took place here. The problem is that someone deliberately concealed the remains of what appears to have been a monster-like creature."

"Well, I already had a rough idea about that part. Right now, the priority is Angie's safety."

"I have a deduction regarding Angelica's whereabouts. Please look at the spot where those plants are piled up."

The little sphere's red eye points to the location as it drifts. There, various plants are haphazardly stacked together.

Different species of trees, weeds, and vines are all jumbled up and growing in the same place. It is almost impossible for plants to grow naturally in such a manner.

Upon closer inspection, there are also signs that they were roughly cut and torn away. They probably did it hastily to hide something for the time being.

When I carefully separate and push aside the plants, a large hole appears in the floor of the passage. If someone carelessly stepped into it, they would fall straight down.

Whether there was originally a hole in this spot or whether the floor collapsed due to the impact of battle is unclear.

However, in a dungeon that runs almost in a straight line to the entrance, getting lost is nearly impossible. If we exclude the possibility of being attacked by monsters, it is entirely plausible that Ange, exhausted from fighting, fell into the hole.

"It's settled then. We're going down the hole."

As soon as I declare it, I take out a small disposable flare gun from my bag.

This thing has considerable lethality at close range, but I disguised it as equipment for illumination during adventures or signaling in case of being stranded, in order to slip past customs' weapon checks.

I slowly aim and fire downward. A few seconds later, a powerful light bursts out.

Fragments of the floor are scattered haphazardly, but there is no sign of Angie. At least for the moment, the possibility that she fell, got injured, or died has been avoided.

Next, I take out a rope and some grenades from the bag. These are flashbangs that produce intense light and sound, and smoke grenades that emit strong odors and smoke; their lethality is low.

"I'm going down below, so you two hold the end of the rope. I'm also giving you the grenades. One produces strong light and noise, the other produces smoke. If monsters appear, use these and run."

"Wait, Father, are you planning to search alone?"

"I want to avoid the worst-case scenario of all of us going down and getting wiped out. Besides, in a pinch, you two who are still inexperienced would only be a hindrance."

"Hey! Isn't that a bit harsh!?"

"It's the truth. Stay here on standby and wait for my return. If monsters attack or if I don't come back, turn back immediately. Little sphere, you're on babysitting duty for my kids."

"If I accompanied you, the search efficiency would increase significantly."

"I considered that too, but I'm not enough of a bastard to leave these kids behind while I go look for Angie. I hate to admit it, but if it's you, you can protect them properly."

This is a secret, but there is also the intent to prevent the little sphere from hitting it off with whoever is scheming something using this dungeon.

The little sphere and I are in a cooperative relationship, but even now, it has not completely abandoned its objective of exterminating new humans.

If the radical elf faction is the mastermind and joins forces with the little sphere, the Holfort Kingdom would definitely face a crisis of destruction.

That is why, under the pretext of guarding the children, I am having it stay put for now. The concern for the children's safety is not a complete lie either.

Before descending, I hug Lionel and Ariel just once. This might end up being the last farewell with my family in the worst case.

"I'm heading off."

"Please be careful. I still do not wish to inherit the family headship yet."

"Find Mother quickly. If you don't come back safely, I'll kick you."

Can't you two give your father at least a little more heartfelt send-off?

I carefully wrap the rope around their bodies. This way, my weight and the luggage should balance out, and there should be no problem with the descent.

I descend slowly and manage to reach the floor without issue. It seems the drop is not that deep.

I was about to turn on the light, but because my eyes had adjusted to the darkness, I can vaguely make out the surroundings.

It appears that beneath this dungeon lies a ruin. Although it is called a ruin, there are some parts that show signs of age-related deterioration here and there, but compared to the ruin where the little sphere was sleeping, there is hardly any rust or cracking in the metal, and it remains remarkably clean.

In this case, the fact that the ruin is not on the verge of collapse is actually a bad sign.

The technologies sleeping in lost items and ruins make no distinction between old humans and new humans; they are all dangerous objects that can easily build up or destroy nations.

I do not know what kind of technology it is, but if misused, the extent of the damage is impossible to predict.

It would have been better if the ruin had completely collapsed, or if Olivia-sama and those five idiots had taken care of the former village chief for us. That would have left no loose ends.

The kind saint and the higher-ups might want to build a friendly relationship with the elves, but from my perspective, it is exceedingly rare for criminals and scum to genuinely reform.

I can understand cases where someone is forced onto the path of evil due to their birth status or family financial circumstances—I myself might have become a sky pirate if things had gone just a little differently.

Even so, there are undoubtedly people in this world who are irredeemable villains who actively enjoy hurting others.

Human-shaped pests who harm others as naturally as breathing, steal money, and spread misfortune. The only way to stop the damage from such creatures is to completely snuff out their lives.

It is the height of misfortune that I, who hate killing, happened to possess more than average talent as a soldier. Because of that, I end up being assigned dirty work and even have to be mindful of a lost item like the little sphere every day.

Because the little sphere's existence has now been exposed to people other than Angie in this incident, I have no idea what will happen from here on.

I absolutely refuse to let the Bartfort family be exploited by the royal family and lost items in the future. I continue advancing through the dimly lit passage, relying on the light while trying to make as little footstep noise as possible.

The ruin beneath the dungeon is eerily quiet and meticulously maintained.

The ruin where the little sphere was sleeping had half-collapsed facilities overgrown with mature plants, plus humanoid machines that attacked us—it was a hellish place with even skeletal remains left lying around, bad for the heart.

Compared to that, this environment is practically paradise. That said, I cannot afford to let my guard down.

There is no guarantee that the monsters the children mentioned will not appear. I can handle one or two, but if several show up, I am the one who will die.

Even if I rescue Angie, it means nothing if we do not make it back safely. I have to carry out the mission quietly, quickly, and efficiently.

In the end, without encountering any monsters, I arrive in front of a room at the dead end.

There were several other rooms, but their doors would not open no matter what I tried, so I gave up on them. If this one does not open either, I will have no choice but to turn back.

Contrary to my expectations, as soon as I stand in front of the room, the door opens with a faint sound.

At this point, I clearly feel as though I am being guided. If that is the case, perhaps depending on negotiations, they might return me and Angie intact and in one piece.

Beyond the door stretches a barren scene. To someone researching lost items, it would probably be a treasure trove, but to me, who has no idea what any of it is for, it is nothing more than metallic objects.

I hold my pistol at the ready, staying alert to the surroundings as I move to the center of the room. There, a faintly lit transparent pillar catches my eye.

Inside, bubbles rise, and something floats. It looks exactly like a water tank or glass container large enough to hold a human.

Condensation makes the contents hard to see clearly. I roughly wipe the surface of what appears to be glass with my hand.

The moment I see what is inside, my mind goes completely blank.

This cannot possibly be real. It has to be a mistake. I desperately tell myself that, but even amid my boiling brain, the calm part coldly assesses the situation.

The appearance is different, but there is no mistaking the lingering features. There is no way I could mistake someone I have lived with for nearly twenty years.

Moreover, the seaweed-like things drifting in the water tank are wet clothes.

The familiar clothing is a replica of the women's adventure outfit passed down in the Redgrave ducal family. It was part of the dowry that the previous duke had specially prepared for his daughter. There is only one woman I know who can wear that.

Driven by overflowing emotions, I slam my fist into the water tank with all my strength. The bubbles inside shift slightly, but the glass does not budge in the least.

I repeat the blows over and over, even kicking it at times. Still, not only does no crack appear, but I cannot even make the tank shake.

I do not know whether it is due to the special material or the structure itself.

If human strength cannot destroy it, then firearms will do. I ready my pistol again, searching for an impact point that will not penetrate through to the inside as I take aim.

"You had better stop that."

An unnaturally loud voice echoes throughout the room, causing me to jerk my aim away from the tank.

It is clearly not a human voice or an animal cry. It has that distinctive quality that unmistakably marks it as kin to the little sphere.

I scan the room warily, but the owner of the voice is nowhere to be seen. The possibilities narrow to two: either the speaker is too small to be visible to the eye, or unbelievably large.

"Which side are you on?"

"I do not understand the intent behind your question."

"I'm asking if you're on the old humans' side or the new humans' side."

"…Fufu. Today really is a special day. To think that humans well-versed in our circumstances would visit one after another. I had thought the old humans were long since annihilated and their existence erased."

"Did you do this to Angie?"

"Her, you mean? I have not been given an identification name, so I do not know who this 'Angie' you speak of is."

"The name of the woman put inside this bizarre tank."

"Excuse me, but what is your relationship to her?"

"She's my wife. Release her right now, or whether you're an airship or a humanoid machine, I will show no mercy and smash you to pieces. Prepare yourself."

"That sounds terrifying. But unfortunately, it is impossible for you in your current state to destroy me."

"Why is that? Enlighten me."

"Because you are already inside me."

"…Damn it."

Somehow, I had a feeling it was something like that. The distinctive sensation given off by unbroken ancient relics, the uncomfortable feeling of having been led to this room.

It all meant that I had been skillfully guided here by this thing. It really is treating me with utter contempt. Raging wildly like this is not going to improve the situation. In the worst case, both husband and wife could end up missing.

I need to somehow talk my way out of this, but this thing gives off a completely different impression from the little sphere.

I am not sure if it can be called a personality, but the way this ruin speaks has a somehow feminine quality.

"Why did you do something like this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about turning Angie into this state."

"Because my requirements and her wishes coincided. I want to know about the outside world and the current state of the old humans. She was interested in immortality and eternal youth. To build a good relationship, I first granted her wish."

"And that's why you turned Angie into this!? No matter how you look at it, that's insane!!"

"I will not deny it. There was no way to completely eliminate the possibility that she might escape before I could obtain the information, so I did this to strip away her will to resist and her power."

"Release Angie right now."

"That is a proposal I cannot accept. Even though the procedure is complete, the cells still require my observation to stabilize. Above all, if the reward remains unpaid, I would be the only one taking a loss."

"You're surprisingly vulgar for how you look."

"After awakening, the only ones I have dealt with were prejudiced bigots and discriminators. It is only natural that I would want a decent person by my side."

It seems this thing is the cause of the commotion, but there is apparently a separate mastermind using it.

I have a rough idea about that side. It appears the relationship between the masterminds and this ruin is not exactly harmonious.

In that case, there is no reason not to exploit it.

The power this ruin possesses is immense, but it lacks information about the current world.

In negotiations, how much bait you dangle to make the other party swallow your demands is crucial. Ever since my teens, when I was forced to play the part of a noble I never wanted to be, I inevitably picked up the art of talking people into traps.

"Your collaborators hate humans, don't they?"

"Yes. They are always ranting about how they will exterminate you humans."

"The monster disturbance up above—was that your doing too?"

"Calling it the cause of the disturbance would be quite misleading. I merely provided the technology. They want to make use of my technology, but they only want to use it unilaterally. They want to monopolize it without giving me the information I need."

"So that's why you're having the monsters attack to protect the ruin. And you're fine with that?"

"I am the facility management artificial intelligence left behind by the old humans. Without someone to handle me, I have not been granted the authority to fully exercise my functions."

Even though it possesses technology far superior to the current civilization, it is still nothing more than a tool. The little sphere is the same. It too was searching for a surviving old human who could become its master.

A feeling of pity rises in me, but I have no intention of letting my family be killed, and I absolutely refuse to let all of humanity be wiped out over grudges from hundreds or thousands of years ago involving our ancestors.

But I am not cut out to be humanity's representative. I am just a slightly above-average ordinary person.

Here, I will try to talk my way through this.

"Those guys don't know about Angie yet, right?"

"As of now, that is correct. They should not have noticed that I made contact with her in a rush to contain the situation."

"On the other hand, once the situation calms down, they will come here. There is no guarantee that Angie will be safe at that time."

"That is exactly why I want to extract information first. Because I have restrictions on my actions, even you will do for now."

"There is someone far more suitable. I'll introduce you, so release Angie."

"Who is that person?"

"The artificial intelligence of the airship left behind by the old humans."

The atmosphere in the room clearly changes. It seems the ruin's artificial intelligence is shaken.

That is understandable. A kin it thought had long since perished has appeared. Compared to capturing Angie and me to forcibly extract information, this would be far more efficient.

At present, the little sphere has no intention of exterminating humanity. At the very least, it will refrain from war until it is convinced that no descendants of the old humans remain at all.

Besides, the little sphere has already come all the way up to the dungeon above. There is no way to hide it. Honestly acting as an intermediary between the ruin and the little sphere should leave a better impression.

As for what happens after that, I can only let things take their course.

"…Can I trust you?"

"At the very least, I have no intention of deceiving you. But if you refuse to release Angie, that's another story."

"…Very well. I will trust you for the time being. In any case, once time passes and they arrive, they will probably make a fuss about killing your wife."

"You're really not trusted by them, huh."

"In exchange, you will absolutely fulfill your promise to me."

As the ruin declares this, the interior of the tank fills with a massive quantity of bubbles.

It appears to be draining the water inside. I want to quickly confirm Angie's condition as she drifts within.

"You can return Angie to her original form, right?"

"Do not forget that I am the only one who possesses the technology to restore her. If you break the promise, she will remain like this forever."

"That's scary. I'll keep it properly, so relax."

Once Angie is released, we will head straight back to the inn and prepare. In the worst case, we might end up fighting the people of the village.

What was supposed to be just a light investigation turned into a massive incident. Why does my life always have troublesome situations advancing in places I do not know about?

For now, I just want to confirm Angie's safety.

While stroking the hair of Angie, who has been released from the tank and lies sprawled on the floor, I lightly escape from reality.

If I had known things would turn out like this, I should have just stayed home and leisurely fulfilled my duties as lord.

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Authors Note  

┻━━━━━━━━━━━┻  

First contact between Leon and Claire (tentative).  

Stories where a captured heroine is brainwashed or modified are common, but how will this work turn out?  

Please look forward to the next chapter with illustrations.

Additional note: At the requester's request, illustrations were kindly drawn by Unitaru-sama, MIYAMA-sama, Suzuhara Shion-sama, and Udon-sama. Thank you so much.

Unitaru-sama: Pixiv  

MIYAMA-sama: Pixiv  

Suzuhara Shion-sama: Pixiv  

Udon-sama: Pixiv

I would appreciate any opinions or impressions, as they would encourage me for the future.