The angel accepted the mantle I offered and put it on, looking presentable now, so I faced her.
She didn’t seem to mind her previous state, looking at me with nothing in particular on her face, her large wings spread behind her back.
“So? Why is an angel here?”
“You mean, why am I in this dungeon, correct?”
“Yeah, you attacked me, so I’d appreciate an explanation of the circumstances. But if it’s too much trouble, you can skip it.”
“Hmm, it is my duty to explain the situation to a Hero. It’s not a particularly complex matter.”
“No, I already told you I’m not a Hero. Well, whatever.”
Why this angel thought I was a Hero was irrelevant at this point. I knew I’d get caught up in more trouble later anyway. I could ask then. I gestured for her to continue, as if retracting my denial.
“While your rather rough treatment is regrettable, the truth is we are short on time. I’ll get straight to the point. I was sealed and became the power source of this dungeon, and I’ve escaped from it.”
“…”
“Why the look of ‘what again?’ on your face? Wouldn’t a normal person be surprised that an angel like me is filling the role of a Dungeon Core?”
Displeased that she didn’t get the reaction she expected, the angel’s eyes narrowed slightly. However, I was already struggling to hold back a sigh.
“Ah, it’s more like… lately, I’ve been thinking I probably need an exorcism when I get home. My ‘surprise’ emotion reserves are pretty much depleted.”
Just as expected from someone with a luck stat of four, I’d gotten dragged into another troublesome situation. Somehow, I had a feeling something was going to happen, starting from when I was denied entry to this dungeon. I didn’t think I was the type of protagonist who attracted trouble, but then again, things rarely went smoothly even at my previous company; I encountered trouble every day. I was forced to acknowledge the sad reality that this was just a different kind of trouble.
“Okay, I saw nothing. We never met. OK?”
“Wait, why are you proceeding as if we’re going to part ways?”
“Please, just understand, or rather, accept it even if you don’t. No understanding or shared recognition is needed. Just accept it and let me get on with my schedule. I’m desperate.”
“That won’t do. It would be a dishonor to my angelic name to leave after you’ve freed me from my seal without repaying the favor. To return the debt, I will lend you my power.”
“No, I don’t need such an obvious source of trouble!”
“!?”
“No, don’t bother with that shocked expression. My answer won’t change.”
Before I knew it, I was trying to disengage, but the angel clung to me, making it impossible. Could this be some kind of forced event? I thought, trying to find an opening to escape, but the angel would have none of it.
“Taking advantage of a gap in the Dungeon Core’s maintenance for two hundred years, a weak angel who finally escaped through painstaking effort! Don’t you want to help me? Is that what a Hero does?!”
“I told you I’m not a Hero! How many times do I have to say it for you to understand?! I’ve been denying it from the start, haven’t I?! Can’t you move on from thinking I’m a Hero already?! Even a dense protagonist would listen somewhat properly! And look at the devastation around you! With what face do you call yourself weak?! Sealed and with that kind of power, you clearly don’t need my help! You can handle it on your own!”
The entire area had been gouged out by a steel ball, altering the terrain. Normally, if the dungeon’s functions were stable, such a feat of terrain alteration would be impossible. But this angel was acting as the Dungeon Core, and now the Dungeon Core was absent. This meant the functions were unstable, and even normal operations would be disrupted. It’s not like it could be controlled properly in the first place, so it felt like this was just piling on. However, altering the terrain shouldn’t have been possible. Yet, the angel before me had achieved it through sheer force. That alone was clear proof that this angel was no weak being.
“Hmm? Wait a minute, did you just say two hundred years? I thought this was a much older dungeon. Even if a Hero attacked and you were sealed by chance, the timing doesn’t match, does it?”
“Precisely 235 years, 3 months, and 2 days. Your question is natural. To be exact, that’s how long it’s been since I woke up. Before that, after being wounded during a battle with the Dungeon Master here, I was in a deep slumber. Then, before I knew it, I was connected to the dungeon and they tried to rewrite its information, but I rejected it all! I am an angel. I will not lend my hand to demons.”
It’s fine to be proud, but seeing your white navel peeking out from your mantle, try to moderate yourself a little.
“It’s minor details. More importantly, is the administrator of this dungeon an idiot? They are an idiot, aren’t they? No, I can say with confidence, they are an idiot. There’s a slim chance it’s something else, but I don’t want to believe that.”
Using a three-tiered argument, I could definitively say the person managing this dungeon was an idiot. What were they thinking, incorporating an angel, even a long-lived one, into its functions? Even if they were restrained, there was a possibility of the dungeon being taken over.
“Why are you using a hostile lifeform to control the dungeon? There are too many points to question.”
“Based on integrated consciousness, this Dungeon Core was severely damaged in a battle with a Hero and had a short lifespan. However, the person managing the dungeon at the time, fearing a loss of power, incorporated me in my dormant state without authorization. Apparently, they’ve continued to manage it through generations of my clan.”
I wanted to retort with “Just wake up already,” but I assumed it must have been a terrible battle and filled in the gaps myself to move the conversation forward.
“That sounds plausible enough to accept. Also, hearing that, I realized: how long has it been since you escaped?”
“It’s been about three days. Climbing the floors from the deepest part using only magic detection, blindfolded, was quite taxing.”
“…Ah, I see the real reason they were in such a panic. After all, there’s a clear reason for a whole clan’s downfall right in front of them.”
“Are you talking about me?”
“What else could it be?”
And then, I finally grasped the full picture of why the Explorer’s Guild was in such a frenzy. While what Amiricia said wasn’t wrong, it wasn’t the complete answer. The escape of an angel used as a Dungeon Core, precisely when she was aiming for a position among the Seven Generals. Furthermore, she was a powerful angel capable of maintaining the dungeon. If the fact that such a being was released outside the dungeon became public, the responsibility would be immense. The mere thought was terrifying. Moreover, judging by the way the angel spoke, the incorporation of the angel was solely at the discretion of the person in charge at the time. While I didn’t know if using an angel’s power was illegal, failure to obtain consent for acting unilaterally would surely result in punishment. It was understandable why someone like me, who stumbled upon this situation, would cause such a panic. The Dungeon Core, a matter of utmost secrecy, would likely have guards and researchers assigned to it. Reports probably came from there, leading to their frantic actions. From the angel’s perspective, she was unjustly bound and her magic exploited, so she simply prepared meticulously and executed her escape. However, for those who had grown complacent, believing it was safe because it had always been so, this sudden event must have caused them to panic like children poking a beehive. I was impressed by the angel’s audacity, showing an expression that suggested the seriousness of the situation was not a big deal. And with that understood, my course of action was simple.
“I see, got it. Well then, good luck escaping.”
“Wait! Why are you so determined to avoid me! Isn’t this the place where you should lend a hand?!”
“Don’t you understand what you just said yourself?! Even if you’re beautiful, it’s a different story if you come with a bomb called ‘trouble’! My current priority is my own safety, not a man’s selfish desires! That’s what a man about to become a father needs!”
It was good that I understood the full picture. And I thought, based on the flow of the conversation, that I could persuade her, but things weren’t going that easily.
“Then how about this! I will grant your child the Angel’s Blessing! With that, not only will they be free from illness, but their future success will also be assured!”
“I refuse! Who would willingly throw their child into the Valley of Sacrifice?! I’d rather protect them with my own hands than leave them to such troublesome blessings!”
She tried every possible way to persuade me, but with divine or angelic blessings, it was a given that trouble came along with the benefits, so I refused outright. In response to my reaction, the angel hugged my waist, determined not to let me escape, as if she saw my unyielding will. I tried to pull her off by grabbing her shoulders, but there was no sign of budging. Even in this unstable posture, my strength, with magic circulation, could exert enough force to push over a ten-ton truck. Yet, this angel’s strength, not budging even a little, was unfathomable.
“Hmph! Tell me the reason, the reason!! Why do you need me to escape the dungeon!! With your abilities, you should be able to escape the dungeon without relying on me, who is far beneath you in strength!!”
“…”
I thought there must be a reason for her desperation, and when I asked, she suddenly stopped moving entirely. Still, she didn’t release her hands from my waist, likely understanding that if she did, I would escape.
“If I tell you, will you cooperate?”
“I can’t say anything without enough information to make a judgment. I can’t make any promises.”
She was still asking, perhaps wanting to gain an advantage in her current situation. To avoid a gangster-like development where I’d be forced to cooperate after hearing her story, I decided to set a preemptive boundary.
“Hmm, I see. If I hear the reason, the Hero will cooperate with me.”
“Is it that important? If it’s a ‘save the world’ kind of thing, I’m fully prepared to run away.”
The angel’s voice had become more serious than before, and I braced myself, thinking there must be a significant reason. If they were truly looking for a savior, I felt bad for the angel, but some forceful action might be unavoidable. I would attempt a full-scale escape.
“At the time, I had fulfilled my duty of escorting my companion Hero to the Demon Lord, but I received more severe injuries than anticipated and needed to rest to heal. So, I told the Hero accompanying me at the time that I would follow later, erected a barrier in the dungeon, and fell asleep to heal my wounds. However, my awakening took longer than expected.”
As the angel began to speak, seemingly with some difficulty, I felt my mouth twitch, but I silently urged her to continue.
“…”
“Naturally, angels have long lifespans, so our sense of time is dulled. Furthermore, the quality of the magic in this dungeon had a good compatibility with my magic wavelength.”
“Meaning?”
“I slept longer than I intended and overslept. By the time I woke up, the Demon Lord had already been defeated, and a new era had begun. My protective barrier was removed, and I was incorporated into the Dungeon Core.”
“…”
“While incorporated into the Dungeon Core, I couldn’t contact my companion Hero or other angels. Time just passed, and if I returned now, I would undoubtedly receive a scolding from the Sun God. Realizing this after escaping, I wandered around the dungeon to buy some time. Fortunately, I had disabled the function that generated monsters capable of harming me, so I had plenty of time. Thinking I could buy more time by driving away the demons, I repelled several groups of them, and then…”
“You met me?”
“Yes. Judging by the quality of your magic, you possess the qualifications to truly become a Hero. And if you possess the Ore Tree that becomes the Holy Sword, I thought you were the Hero who invaded the demon continent. What I didn’t anticipate was how sturdy the restraints were, and I couldn’t break them on my own. Fortunately, you removed them, so we could have this conversation. Now, if I take you to my God, I will be free from reprimand.”
“…”
To summarize the story. I fell asleep to heal my wounds, but I overslept and got captured. If I reported such a blunder to my superior? God? I’d be punished. To avoid that, I was struggling to find a way when I met you. Seeing your potential as a Hero, I thought bringing you would earn me merit and solve my problem. In other words.
“I’ve told you everything! Come with me to my God!!”
“I refuse!!”
This has absolutely nothing to do with me!! So my answer is singular.
“Why!! I told you the reason faithfully!!”
“I appreciate your honesty, but who in their right mind would say, ‘Oh, I understand, I’ll go with you’!! I don’t think there’s anyone so good-natured as to say they’ll go just because you’re pathetic!!”
The struggle to pull away from the angel began anew. This time, I was definitively trying to shake her off with all my might. I understood the feeling of not wanting to report a failure to one’s superior. I might sympathize a little, but you brought this upon yourself, so find someone else.
“Please! Help me, thinking of me!!”
“Savior is outside my job description!! I’m a Dungeon Tester! I belong to the Demon Lord’s Army, so I can’t help you either way!”
“What?”
“Ah.”
I blurted out something unnecessary, even if it was a spur-of-the-moment remark, and realized my mistake. I felt danger, though no killing intent, and broke free from her loosened grip, taking about two meters of distance. I reached for the hilt of the Ore Tree, gathering magic to be ready.
“…”
“?”
However, contrary to my expectations, the fight didn’t begin. I expected the angel to unleash her divine justice, thinking, “I will vanquish anyone who aids the Demon Lord’s Army!” but… She started muttering to herself, seemingly deep in thought, and stopped moving. It lasted only a few seconds. Should I have escaped during this opening? Just as I thought that, the angel raised her head.
“Alright! I shall fall from grace!”
“Why that conclusion?”
I voiced the thought that surely everyone else would have, upon hearing her declare she was going mad.
Today’s Quote:
Why did it turn out like this?
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