"Do you understand the structure of the ice sword you use? You just see it as a mysterious sword that freezes everything."
"Don't compare a sword and a horse."
Strictly speaking, Sleipnir and the ice sword Iris wields are both saintly swords of the same divine sword, so they are essentially like siblings. Mysterious weapons whose principles are completely incomprehensible. Even Holly doesn't know who created them and how.
But thinking too deeply about it is probably pointless.
"…"
However, considering how we and others like Cineraria, who probably use these divine saintly swords for personal gain, it makes me realize just how terrifying humans can be.
The sacred light sword and its twelve saintly swords were meant to protect humanity from the demon king. That such godlike objects can be misused...
Well, I don't like to blame my own people, but objectively speaking, both Catreya Instructor, who used the blaze sword to suppress a rebellion, and Saffron, who used the vacuum sword for assassination, could be considered as misusing them."If there were more saintly swords or if they could be mass-produced, I feel humans would definitely use them to wage wars. Even worse would be if there were multiple copies of the sacred light sword that Shion wields. According to Holly, it's a blade of light that could annihilate an entire town with a single swing. If such destructive weapons were used in war, humanity would likely annihilate itself before the demon king could."
"Well, anyway, I can't even imagine how swords that remain uncorroded and undamaged for tens of thousands of years could be made."
"It's strange, isn't it? To think that we can reach a place that would take almost a month to travel to in just one day. It's almost disorienting."
"I never really paid attention to the time it takes to travel across continents. Even Catreya Instructor said the heavenly horse sword is convenient."
"We're about to enter the territory of Blue Dragon... Actually, we're already flying over it. I never thought I'd see my hometown from the air like this."
Iris looked down at her feet from the driver's seat, her face stiffening. We were flying at a considerable height and speed, so her reaction was natural.
I focused solely on holding the reins of the heavenly horse, trying not to think about the dangerous act I was performing. Especially not thinking about how certain death would be if I fell from the carriage.
"So, where should we land? Is it okay to land near a village or in the middle of a town?"
"Let's land in the largest town... Wait a minute."
Iris and I were discussing our next steps when Saffron, who had been following us out of boredom and showed no interest in the water shortage, interjected with a puzzled expresshion.
"Hey, what's that castle built on that high mountain range?"
"A castle built on a mountain range?"
Not understanding the nuance of her question, I looked in the direction Saffron was pointing and...
"…uh?"
I inadvertently let out a strange moan and pulled on the reins to stop Sleipnir in mid-air.
I then stared wide-eyed at...
A bizarrely shaped castle, or more like a palace, built as if carved into the side of a mountain.
"What is that? That's amazing, Iris. Is there such a building around here? And how was it built in the first place?"
"I... I don't know that building. I'm seeing it for the first time too."
"Huh? Isn't such a huge building famous locally? What is that castle for anyway? It's in no position for defense, and it's too big for a wealthy person's villa."
"Hmm...? And Crow, seriously, it's impossible to build such a huge building halfway up a mountain like that, right? Isn't that not made by humans?"
As Saffron said that, I glanced at Holly, who usually remains silent in the presence of others."Hey, Holly. That building is…"
At that moment, Holly seemed more astonished than ever before.
She was staring intently at the mysterious structure we were observing, clearly shaken.
"What's wrong, Holly?"
"…This is impossible…"
"What?"
"That is... a Dungeon."
"…A Dungeon?"
I landed Sleipnir on the ground as a temporary measure.
"Crow, you stay here and listen to what Holly has to say. I'll go to the nearby town to gather information."
"I'll go too. I want to explore this place I've never been to before."
Leaving those words behind, Iris and Saffron quickly descended from the carriage Sleipnir was pulling and ran off.
Their running speed was incredibly fast, almost abnormal. They were saintly sword users, so perhaps they were lightly using the possesshion ability of their swords. It seemed they had been consciously slowing down to match my pace when they were with me. Their physical abilities were beyond my reach, making me feel a bit inferior.
"...Holly. Do you know what that building is?"
"That is a Dungeon."
"What's a Dungeon?"
"Are you serious? You don’t know? It's a labyrinth."
Holly looked down at me with a gaze that seemed to belittle me.
"No, I mean, what is a labyrinth?"
"…Sigh. I thought I understood the extent of your ignorance, but you don’t even know that? A labyrinth is a building designed to confuse those who enter it…"
"I’m not asking for the definition! I know what a dungeon, a labyrinth is! I'm asking why you were so surprised when you saw that building!"
"...That Dungeon is… something the Demon King constructs in various places around the world to bring about humanity's extinction."
"What!?"
"Inside the Dungeon, countless monsters live and reproduce."
"When the number of monsters inside the Dungeon exceeds a certain limit, they emerge in swarms and start moving towards human towns and villages."
"Hey, wait a minute! Isn’t the Demon King supposed to resurrect in four years? Could it be that he has already resurrected?"
"No… that shouldn’t be possible…"
Holly seemed puzzled, stroking her chin as if deep in thought.Of course, that makes sense.
If the construction of a Dungeon is a precursor to the Demon King's resurrection, it's an extremely serious matter.
"Is it possible for someone other than the Demon King to build a Dungeon?"
"That's impossible. Only the Demon King can create a Dungeon and spawn monsters."
"What about the possibility that the Demon King has already resurrected?"
"That too is impossible. When the Demon King is resurrected, Dungeons will appear all over the world, countless in number, all at the same time."
"What if Dungeons started appearing gradually before the Demon King's resurrection?"
"There has never been an instance where Dungeons appeared before the resurrection of the Demon King."
"Could that building not be a Dungeon?"
"That is undoubtedly a Dungeon."
At that point, I fell silent.
Countless labyrinths appear around the world when the Demon King is resurrected. From them, vast numbers of monsters emerge and attack human settlements. Humanity is doomed to be assaulted by these creatures, far beyond human capacity to defeat, until the moment the Hero defeats the Demon King.
So that means...
"How can we prevent monsters from emerging from that Dungeon?"
"Defeating the Demon King would work. If the Demon King dies, all Dungeons will disappear."
But what about a labyrinth that won't disappear until the not-yet-resurrected Demon King is defeated? What kind of situation is that?
"…How about bringing Shion here to incinerate the Dungeon with the power of the Holy Sword?"
"It might be possible for Shion, but it will take too much time to go back to Pendragon and return here. Monsters inside might overflow, causing casualties among nearby residents."
"How long will it take for the monsters breeding inside that Dungeon to spill out?"
"…Given the ominous flow of magical energy, it's possible they could emerge within today. I can't say for certain."
"…!"
It's unbelievable.
Such an incredible coincidence.
A letter from Iris's hometown led me to visit this place, Blue Dragon, and now I find myself facing an immediate crisis.
It's bizarre.