Miranda — unusually — had asked us to come, and at the Guild we were meeting the person she’d insisted we had to meet.
Hands clasped, begging hard. Just meet him — we’d agreed. The result was—
“You’re the adventurer party she mentioned? I’m Damian Bale. Ah, skip the introductions. Remembering names is tedious. — Or rather… I’m not interested, so I’d forget anyway.”
Messy green hair, neither long nor short.
Glasses — some sort of Magic Implement, by the heavy look.
Compared to the Fourth’s well-kept glasses, an unkempt spectacle. Early twenties, small, in robes, distinct vibe. A staff taller than himself slung over one shoulder.
Looking at his gear, all Magic Implements.
But — why introduce me to a man I most wanted to avoid?
“M-Miranda-san?”
“I’m sorry! Really sorry, Lyle. — Just, the professor said he absolutely couldn’t wait… if he goes into the dungeon and sees reality, he’ll give up.”
Novem looked troubled too.
“The request is to escort Damian-san and defeat the floor-40 boss? I wouldn’t say we have that level of ability.”
Aria, looking at Damian, was lightly shocked — the picture of professor she’d had in her head, presumably, didn’t fit.
A more intellectual man, probably.
Damian.
“I understand that. Individual strength looks present, but with only three of you, at a glance, obviously. But here’s the thing: no one’ll take my escort request. Infuriating. I pay the Guild just to post it. You know how hard it is to squeeze money out of the upper-tier old men—”
He was talking but not looking at us — felt extremely rude.
Ignoring his grumbling, I checked with Miranda.
The reason we’d been pulled here.
“Miranda-san. Is this a request?”
“A personal one. I want you to escort the professor into the dungeon. — Adventurers who accept his requests just enter the dungeon and nothing else — that’s been getting around…”
She looked troubled. Damian.
Exasperated, complaining about Guild handling.
“They charge to post the request, and then they let adventurers with no intention to complete it into the dungeon. — Awful. Can’t trust the Guild. — All they have to do is provide what I asked for.”
Did he understand how difficult that was?
He wasn’t in the trade — perhaps not.
I weighed taking it.
(Take it? — But the completion part is impossible for us. Three of us — and dragging Damian, one of the Seven Geniuses, into a dungeon clear? Bad feeling all over.)
Carrying a man who needs babysitting on a hard run could kill us.
I almost declined without consulting Novem or Aria.
But the Sixth.
”…Lyle. This is a chance. Take it. With conditions.”
(Conditions?)
The Sixth’s voice carried more weight than usual. I swallowed the refusal.
“Best chance to pull Miranda away from Shannon. A magic eye that can work on the mind. Miranda may already be under Shannon’s control, or close to it.”
The Sixth, very careful about Shannon. The Fifth agreed.
“If the possibility exists, crushing it is fine. — Help from Miranda when we reform her. Get Miranda in on this trip too. Then we prepare properly. Tell Damian: Miranda’s in, then we do this seriously.”
The Fifth was on board. I wanted to dodge — too dangerous.
I didn’t think we could pull it off.
I tapped the Jewel to signal opposition. The Second laughed.
“Lyle’s not feeling it. — But, Lyle… the Fifth and Sixth said prepare. Nobody said you have to escort Damian with just the three of you.”
The Third advised.
The two of them were enjoying this.
“It sounds fun, take it. Good experience for Lyle. — I’m curious about Clara. She’s support-specialist. Calling her in isn’t a bad move.”
(They’re having fun!)
The Seventh.
”…Lyle, take this one. We’ll demand something in exchange. Damian’s Golem magic.”
The Seventh’s interest in Golem ran deep.
His reason — wow.
“Damian, called one of the Seven Geniuses… that intel will sell high!”
Finally, the Fourth wrapped it up.
“Our consensus: take the request. Lyle’s call?”
Aria.
“Hey — what are you so seriously deliberating? This is past us. Decline politely and—”
“I’ll take it. With conditions.”
When I said take, Novem didn’t change expression. As if she’d been certain I would.
Aria stared.
“Y-you! You said we weren’t pushing! You can’t take this professor to floor 40!”
Miranda.
“Aria, don’t think so hard. He just needs to go in and learn it’s beyond him—”
Damian cut her off, looking at me.
He hadn’t been looking before; now he was looking at me with a sudden grin.
“Heh — thought you’d decline. You’ve got spine. Fine. I’ll commission you. — So, the conditions?”
I gave the ones the ancestors had laid out.
“One: time. Dungeon trip means a stay; I want three days of prep. Make your schedule accordingly. Total period one week — that work?”
He nodded.
“Fine. But that period’s a little short, no? Just carrying me in — no reward. Break floor 30 or I don’t pay for work done.”
Not a problem.
“Fine. Two: manpower. I’ll find some myself, but from your side I want Miranda included. If you refuse, no deal.”
Wanting manpower was natural. Damian tilted his head.
“You want this girl? Don’t bring romance into work… actually, doesn’t look like that. Fine. — You, forced participation.”
He looked at her.
She glanced at me, told Damian no.
“Professor, I can’t! My sister… her eyes don’t work. And we don’t have any help right now.”
Damian, as Damian, played the academy card.
“Take it, and credit goes up. I’ll report you contributed to the academy. Refuse… and, hm. I’ll do nothing. Yes — I’ll do nothing for you.”
Smiling. Miranda looked down.
Do nothing — Damian’s flavor of threat.
I added:
”…The third condition: her sister boards at a hospital. I want a doctor specialized in eye treatment. We’ll cover the cost.”
When I said for treatment, Miranda looked up.
A complicated expression.
If treatment had been possible, Sirclay would have arranged it.
“This girl’s family is rich, no? Full cure isn’t possible, I don’t think. Not my interest. — I’ll introduce you. Just an introduction, fine.”
I said:
“This run’s reward — how about your specialty magic? You use a magic called Golem. I’d like that as payment.”
I’d hoped he’d refuse. He nodded easily.
No attachment to his own magic, or convinced I couldn’t use it.
“You want it that badly? If that’s fine, no budget required — great. — Don’t complain later.”
Novem.
“Surprisingly easy. Is it that Lord Lyle can’t use it?”
He shook his head.
“He could. The ones I’ve taught did successfully cast it. — They all complained at the end.”
A Skill-elevated magic.
For others, the results might be lackluster.
But a magic that came with a byname — knowing it had information value, as the Seventh had said.
“I’ll reach out to acquaintances, but I’m new to Aramsus, so probably one extra at best. — Just Miranda from your side?”
He thought.
”…Students who want credit, yes. The usable ones: this girl, plus a few. The usable ones earn credit themselves and don’t bow to my threats.”
Not reliable.
A flawed person. But one of the Seven Geniuses, so capable, no doubt.
“Three days then. Necessary prep is—”
I’d started laying out the plan. He left.
Waving:
“I camp out in the field for research too. I can prep on my own. Worry about your side — get ready.”
Selfish. — I turned to Miranda, the target.
She wanted to say something.
“Something on your mind?”
”…Why did you name me? You know Shannon’s situation. I introduced you, sure, but you only needed to take the professor.”
She was worried about leaving Shannon.
To me, she didn’t look like someone with her mind controlled. — Or, was that the indicator?
(She’s gentle naturally. Hard to tell.)
Novem consoled her.
“It’s all right, Miranda-san. Shannon-chan is solid; getting out of the house is good for her too. — Closing yourself in keeps your world small.”
“But—”
Aria came at me. Unlike Novem, she opposed.
“Why did you take this?! The reward magic — only that professor can use it, you heard that just now!”
I didn’t want it either — but for Shannon’s sake, Miranda had to be moved away.
Useful cover for asking her help, too.
The Sixth.
“Move on Shannon at her side and she’ll sense it. This is right. In the dungeon, Shannon can’t interfere.”
The Fifth agreed.
He had a second target—
“And it’s about time Lyle Grew. Facing Shannon with mana still capped is harsh.”
The Fifth was building reasons to keep Shannon away while Lyle Grew on exit from the dungeon.
The Second was casual about Shannon.
“My angle is Lyle’s Growth. Looking ahead, he needs to step up around here.”
The Fourth agreed.
But on Shannon he was skeptical.
“Adventurers training in dungeons is old practice. — But Shannon a monster-candidate, like the Fifth and Sixth say? She doesn’t read as one. Is Ceres just that exceptional?”
I sighed and told Aria.
”…For Miranda’s sake.”
“Miranda’s?”
Said. Prep awaited.
◇
Three days later—.
At the Guild, I waved at Clara, carrying her pack.
Big for her size; she walked it normally.
Rookies looked at her, puzzled.
“On time.”
I’d asked Clara to do support.
I’d expected her to balk. She’d agreed immediately.
Costs from our side.
She looked at us.
— At our gear, I mean.
Mine, Novem’s, Aria’s — only a little more than usual.
For an overnight dungeon run, our luggage was visibly too light.
“This seems too little? I told you the necessary volume in advance, didn’t I?”
A touch unhappy. To her we looked like we were taking the dungeon lightly.
I told her it was a misunderstanding and pointed at a wooden crate stacked nearby.
“A crate? You’ll carry that?”
She gave me an inefficient look.
Wry smile.
“No — once everyone’s here, somewhere out of sight—”
The Guild’s adventurers stirred.
“Hey, Damian’s coming!”
“A doll parade.”
“He’s actually doing the dungeon run? He should have been doing this from the start.”
I turned. Clara explained.
Novem and Aria, watching the adventurers part, looked at something unbelievable.
Novem stayed steady.
“Damian-the-Doll-Master’s parade. Rare sight — coming was worth it just for this. Damian operates the dolls he makes, so this is possible.”
My eyes went wide. The ancestors were surprised too.
The Second.
“That’s Damian’s magic?!”
The Third, quiet.
“Right. Everyone wants this.”
The Fourth.
“Looking at this, you understand the value. — It hasn’t spread, so there must be a catch.”
The Fifth, a touch excited.
“Iron golems. Form them into a unit and charge — nothing survives.”
The Sixth was watching Miranda walking alongside.
”…Easier-to-move clothes than usual. Pretty, like Mireia.”
How attached to Mireia was he?
Looking the wrong direction.
The Seventh.
“Really? Normally the eye would go to the walking armor.”
The Seventh had the point.
Full plate carrying weapons and bags, behind Damian.
At a glance, Damian leading knights. But the armor wasn’t man-fitted.
Hands and feet large, body and head small.
Off-balance.
”…He animates dolls he built. Doll-Master, then.”
Novem nodded.
“Impressive. — Is he running all of them himself?”
Four dolls. One carrying a big pack, the others bags and weapons.
Miranda walking with them looked a little embarrassed.
(After dropping Shannon at the hospital, she said she’d come pick up the professor — looks like pickup wasn’t needed.)
Damian looked happy to be doing dungeon work — far more motivated than at first meeting.
“Morning, all! Splendid weather for a dungeon run!”
I looked up.
Cloudy.
Aria.
“Weather has nothing to do with a dungeon.”
He adjusted his glasses with a finger — gesture the Fourth often did.
“Nothing? Why say that with certainty? Bad weather means some adventurers skip. Outside adventurers especially. — Some go drinking with those skip-adventurers instead. Or — rain pushes others toward the dungeon. See? Weather matters.”
He had a point, but explaining that was tiring.
Frankly annoying.
Damian, like Clara, looked at us — and got serious.
“I heard you’d been to a dungeon before. — But this much luggage?”
Light luggage = light commitment, his read.
I pointed at the stack.
“That’s all our gear.”
He nodded.
“Right… inefficient. — I could have my dolls carry, but that drops combat capacity.”
I asked him to move to somewhere less crowded.
Into the dungeon, in a room with no one, I could deploy the Seventh’s [Box].
“I’ll explain later. — Right, full party. Let’s go. Floors 1-3 are crowded. Combat’s nearly nothing till floor 5. Rest there.”
Damian smiled and nodded.
“Good. Vanguard cleared by them. Guild and adventurers occasionally do something useful.”
Strictly, Damian was an adventurer too.
He had a Guild card.
Leaving him to enjoy himself, I approached Miranda.
Shannon-worry — she looked unsettled.
“What’s the matter?”
“Eh? — Ah, Shannon. Hospitalization brought back old memories for her. She didn’t want to go…”
I’d explained three days ago. She’d accepted then; alone, she’d probably resisted.
If so — Miranda wasn’t under Shannon’s control.
The Sixth.
“YES! Phase one — success!”
Pulling them apart had succeeded. My commission was escort Damian, kill floor-40 boss.
For the Sixth, Miranda mattered more.
(Mireia… did the Sixth maybe inconvenience her too?)
The clinginess made me wonder. Past business now.
“It’s a good chance. For Shannon, and for you.”
“For me?”
I’d prepped excuses.
“Not too dependent, no — but maybe trust the other a bit more? Shannon-chan is solid… more than she looks.”
Inside, black-hearted came to mind.
Aria approached and reassured Miranda.
“That’s right, Miranda. Trust her a little. The hospital will care for her.”
It had to. We’d paid gold coins.
Damian’s name had bought a private room.
Cost was higher than expected.
(Spent the most I have in a while. Bought backup weapons too.)
Damian’s dolls picked up the crate.
Water, food, backup weapons inside.
(Real objective: persuading Miranda. Damian’s request — clear if possible too.)
He pushed.
“Hurry. Time is finite and precious. Don’t waste it here.”
I sighed.
Novem soothed me.
“Let’s go, Lord Lyle. It’s fine. We prepared for today.”
I nodded and walked behind humming Damian.
Novem beside me.
Miranda, Aria, Clara behind.
For Aramsus’s dungeon, we probably looked thin.
The ancestors disagreed.
The Second, casual.
“A week? Five days, plenty.”
The Third.
“Persuading Miranda will be harder.”
The Fourth.
“Right. Lyle’s lost some ground with her after the prior thing… could’ve handled better… tch!”
A click of the tongue.
The Fifth.
“One week max: floor 40 boss + Miranda’s persuasion. Miranda’s the harder part. Manageable.”
He was right; she’d stopped talking to me as much.
I’d pushed Shannon into the hospital somewhat forcibly.
(Should’ve been smoother.)
The Sixth.
“Lyle. Damian’s magic doesn’t matter. Persuade Miranda at all costs. Clear?”
Stern-faced Sixth threatening.
I shook my head.
Novem, beside me, asked if I was okay. I smiled and said fine.
The Seventh.
“With Damian’s magic, you can charge armor alone. With a few troops you can field-engage twice your number… ha — looking forward to it!”
Damian’s job overlaid with the ancestors’ agendas.
Could I pull both off — I wondered, uneasy.