Episode 16
Count Parslov.
He looked much younger and healthier than I remember him.
Of course, that health was also relative to the end, but… ….
“It is an honor to meet you.”
“No. Rather, it should be said that it is an honor for me to meet the heir of Walpurgis.”
The count responded to my words with a calm face.
‘It’s still the same.’
I know quite well about the Count.
He was short-lived but capable.
No, it would be correct to say that he was short-lived because he was competent.
He was obsessed with the obsession that he had to raise a family, and he would focus on his work while cutting his mind and body.
As a result, I made the mistake of obsessing over dungeons that I couldn’t clear.
“Are you okay? You look a bit unwell.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just that I get a little less sleep. I’ve been up all night for two days already.”
“….”
yes he was such a person
The Count took a sip of coffee and rubbed his eyes.
Then he opened his mouth.
“…what’s up I heard that you are interested in dungeons.”
“Yes, isn’t the desire to seek the essence of a wizard? Nothing stimulates the desire to explore like a dungeon.”
“Indeed, it is. I want to confirm the identity of the dungeon… …There is no shortage of magicians’ desire to explore.”
The count laughed at my words.
Then… ….
“But it seems like you’re already convinced of the identity of the dungeon?”
“Haha, it can’t be.”
I too responded with a smile.
“Isn’t the Count well aware that clearing the dungeon isn’t that easy?”
yeah it’s never easy
Even though the count has already invested a lot of money and sent an expedition, it has not produced any meaningful results.
At my words, the count tapped the table with his index finger.
“Well, what is true? But even that becomes meaningless in the face of the name ‘Walpurgis’.”
“….”
“Walpurgis is the representative magic family of the Empire. Of course, they must have knowledge or skills that we do not have.”
It was not wrong.
Certainly, our family’s dungeon knowledge and skill levels are very high.
Besides, I noticed the existence of the dungeon and approached first.
It would certainly be a reasonable doubt to think whether there were other intentions.
“This is what I think. You are already convinced of the identity of the dungeon, and its value is worth even the Mulière training method.”
“….”
“My son deserves to turn his eyes to the training method. but i’m not It means you have to look at something bigger than that.”
The meaning of the count now is simple.
-Looking at your attitude, it seems that the Mulière training method doesn’t work well. tell me what you know
But even so, it’s just a bluff. In the end, I am the one who has the upper hand in this negotiation.
No matter how valuable a dungeon is, it’s useless if you can’t attack it.
“well. We don’t know exactly how great the dungeons will be. Of course, I’m hoping that there’s a good chance there will be something interesting, but I’ll ask the opposite.”
I asked the Count.
“Do you think that the current Count Paslov family has the capabilities to raid dungeons?”
The count did not answer.
I just smiled bitterly and took a sip of coffee.
“I’m not going to pretend that it doesn’t matter. yes no Still haven’t found a clue. However, a partner doesn’t have to be ‘Walpurgis’.”
“It doesn’t have to be my family name…“
You can attack with a different family name.
If you’re going to lose, you don’t have to go with your family, right?
The Count must have said something like this.
then it was slow
It’s time for the Count to come up with such a story.
“Then ask the other way around. What would you do if that partner had a reason to be me?”
“…you?”
The Count frowned.
“Are you referring to your ‘individual’, not Walpurgis?”
“That’s right.”
I looked at the Count and said.
“We don’t even need an expedition. What if I could clear that dungeon with certainty?”
“…How long?”
“day.”
“…!”
The count opened his eyes.
“What nonsense!”
“It makes sense.”
I did not avoid the count’s eyes.
As if trying to figure out what I was thinking, the count stared into my eyes and after a while… ….
“What if I fail?”
“Mulier Auror training method. I’ll just give you anything.”
“…?!”
For a moment, the Count’s eyes shook.
“that…Are you just going to give it to me?”
“Assuming I fail. But on the other hand, if I succeed in attacking… …”
he said in a confident voice.
“I will receive half of the dungeon clearing stake.”
* * *
After finishing the deal with Mikhail, the Count immediately returned to his room with Lian.
The count looked quite thoughtful.
“How was your father?”
“Hmm…”
The count tapped his forehead, not answering his son’s words for a moment.
“It wasn’t bad.”
“Hmm, I thought it was pretty good, but from my father’s point of view, it seemed a bit childish.”
The count’s eyes are quite high.
To be evaluated as ‘not bad’ by him means that it is good.
‘Still, it’s a little tougher than I thought.’
After a long time, I thought that I might hear a rave about someone from my father’s mouth.
It was because, in his own eyes, Mikhail was at a level that he couldn’t possibly see as his own age.
From meticulous observation to rich knowledge to thorough planning.
‘But still, it’s not bad from my father’s point of view.’
Well, there is a gap that can’t be helped with simple talent.
From the perspective of a father who has gone through many experiences, it is not strange that he seems immature.
But then.
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
“…yes?”
The Count shook his head with a firm expression. It was a look that even his son, Rian, had never seen before.
“It means that I could only know that it wasn’t bad for me, son.”
“What is that…?”
“It could be lower or it could be higher than I felt. It’s been quite a while since this was the case. It’s not easy to determine what kind of person the ‘Mikhail Walpurgis’ is.”
If it was simply excellent, it would have been highly praised. If it was lacking, it would have been lacking.
But I couldn’t figure it out.
He thought he had a good eye for people, so he couldn’t help but be more confused.
“Could there be something different about Mikhail’s offer? We suffered excessive losses without even realizing it… …“
It’s not like that.”
Mikhail at our meeting today was clearly an excellent negotiator.
But that wasn’t the problem.
as soon as.
“It’s just a gut feeling.”
“ah…“
On one occasion, he even avoided my eyes. My eyes would twinkle when I was talking. Humans should be like that. It’s impossible to hide everything inside. but…”
The count’s eyes deepened.
“…There was nothing like that.”
“….”
Lian was also nervous about his father’s reaction.
“I know such a person. Rather than knowing, should I say that I have seen it in a history book?”
“that…Who is it.”
“The first Marquis of Walpurgis.”
“…!”
Reached the 9th circle, which no one in the current world has reached. A known great mage and the origin of a special blood called Walpurgis.
“Ah, anyway…“
Of course, it’s just that it feels similar to the end. I hadn’t met the great mage myself, so how could I know? but…”
The Count stared at Lian.
“You will have to watch. Exactly what category it is and how big the possibility is… …Check it out for yourself.”
“What if Mikhail is really the person your father felt?”
“What are you going to do?”
At that, the count looked at his son with a pitiful expression.
“Let’s die, let’s be friends.”
* * *
The next day, I headed straight to the dungeon with my butler, Rian.
“Bocchan, are you ready?”
“You did.”
I slowly opened my arms.
“As you can see, my very existence is preparation.”
“Hey, you’re talking nonsense again.”
I silently stared at the butler, giggling. He turned his head slightly as if he felt the gaze.
“Yes, Bocchan, you are right.”
“I wish I knew.”
Of course, it’s not that I don’t understand the butler’s thoughts.
I just reached the 5th circle.
It could be said that he was in a good enough state compared to his age, but it was not like that when it came to attacking dungeons.
I’d say it’s very ambiguous.
If you look at common sense, it’s not enough to face the numerous threats prepared in the dungeon.
“No, are you crazy?”
Standing in front of the dungeon entrance, Lian said as if it was ridiculous.
“Exploring the dungeon with only you, me and this butler?”
“Oh, it will.”
“I’ve said it before, but this is a labyrinth where even famous expeditions have failed. But what are you… …“
Ah, if you’re scared, you fall in.”
i don’t dry
“Who is scared? I just said that there are too few of them!”
Rian grumbled like that while walking toward the dungeon entrance.
“Yes, Parslov never escapes the trials ahead!”
“Hmm, that’s fine then.”
I raised my head and looked at the entrance to the dungeon.
From the outside, it’s just a little shabby ruin, nothing more, nothing less.
“I didn’t even know this was a dungeon when I first found it. I thought it was just a simple ruin.”
“But when I checked it, it turned out that it was a dungeon.”
“To be precise, I called a wizard separately and measured mana. A huge amount of mana stones were observed inside. Besides, that unique dungeon… ….”
“Ancient mana?”
“Yes, that ancient mana was observed again, so it was confirmed that it was a dungeon.”
It’s just as I remember.
Why did Count Paslov spend so much money to clear this dungeon?
The reason is simple.
This is not just a dungeon, it is highly likely that it also serves as a mine containing a huge amount of mana stones.
Even the dungeon is amazing, but it comes with a mana stone mine that guarantees enormous resources?
Then, of course, roll your eyes.
“Can I just go in?”
Saying that, Lian slowly stepped towards the entrance.
“Stop moving. < fuzz >.”
“…?!”
Before his feet even touched the entrance, Lian’s movements stopped.
“…What are you doing?”
“The entrance to the dungeon here is a trap. The moment you step in without any preparation, you will be disqualified from entering.”
“Yes…?”
Ryan looked at me with an expression asking what he was talking about.
Wasn’t the butler making a surprised expression at that time?
“In other words, it is a space that should not be physically approached in the first place. It’s simple, but really effective security.”
“Wait, simple? What is it?”
Ryan frowned.
“There’s an entrance over there. What if I just go in?”
“What are you going to do?”
“Then it doesn’t matter.”
“It doesn’t matter. Even if I can’t do it in return, my life expectancy will be shortened by 40 years. It’s okay.”
“….”
At my words, Lian quietly turned her foot toward the entrance.
“Then how do I get in? There must be a way.”
“Of course it is.”
I gently reached out.
Then.
“< Fireball >.”
I fired a fireball at the entrance of the dungeon.
“What are you doing?!”
“Because this dungeon is quite special. The strategy is different from normal dungeons.”
Yes, it is not an ordinary dungeon.
From the outside, it doesn’t look much different from a normal dungeon, but that’s a trap.
The inside is by no means generic.
“The strategy is different?”
“Yes. To put it simply…“
I cast the magic of the 3rd circle again and flew it towards the dungeon.
But, of course, there was no sound of explosion.
It just absorbed my magic as if nothing had happened.
“What is it?”
And slowly the dungeon began to beat.
“It’s called a biotype dungeon.”
“What is that…“
It’s troublesome to explain, and you can just say it’s a very rare type of dungeon.”
How rare was it that even after digging around like that before returning, I could only find 3 or 4 of them.
Anyway, this dungeon is like a creature.
Just as creatures need energy to function, this dungeon also needs energy.
“if…I wish I could just go in.”
“It becomes food instead.”
This is probably why the expedition team went missing and disappeared one after another.
However, on the contrary, what if we give proper food called ‘mana’ first?
“Hold tight and open the door.”
Kugu Palace!
With a dull sound, the dungeon’s appearance began to change, revealing the ‘real entrance’.
Great mage who transcends by regression
