NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6 - Side Story: Gilnandio, Part 1
Side Story: Gilnandio, Part 1
A report reached the guild that monsters had stopped appearing in a dungeon in the western neighboring country, and since I happened to be free, I was sent to investigate.
It was the kind of investigation that could have been left to the local guild, and no one seemed to mind, but I was sent there at Saura’s insistence. …You don’t doubt her intuition. It was only natural for members of Ortus to assume there was more to it.
I immediately flew to the neighboring country and gathered information about the dungeon in question. It didn’t take long to investigate; there was remarkably little information available.
Naturally, the request had gone to the nearby guild, and several people had been dispatched to investigate. They’d discovered two things. Firstly, no monsters appeared up to the third floor, and no traps were activated. And secondly, when they tried to proceed to the boss room on the third floor, they were unable to reach it and found themselves outside.
First of all, dungeons constantly produce monsters. Dungeons are spaces with a high concentration of magic power, possessed by the will to grow. There are various theories about dungeons, but the prevailing one is that monsters are essentially bait, used to lure people in. Why they lure people in is still a matter of debate among experts.
That being the case, the fact that monsters were no longer appearing was clearly abnormal. Since they had been appearing normally until two or three days ago, something must have happened around that time. However, it was impossible to investigate further without progressing. The investigation seemed to be at a standstill.
After finishing my investigation in town, I headed for the site itself. In the end, I wouldn’t know anything for sure until I saw it with my own eyes. I gave my name at the dungeon entrance, stated my purpose, and went inside.
As soon as I stepped inside, I noticed something was off. It was incredibly quiet. Dungeons were usually quiet, but since they housed living creatures, there was always some sound. Yet, here, it was almost completely silent except for the sound of my own breathing and heartbeat.
I needed to be on my guard. I slightly lowered the mask I always wore, my eyes naturally sharpening.
As I was walking through the second floor, the air suddenly shifted. …Something had happened, but I didn’t know what. I proceeded even more cautiously than before, but as before, no monsters or traps appeared. However, I became aware of a faint trace of a monster’s presence, which hadn’t been there before.
It seemed best to hurry to the third floor, the one mentioned in the rumors. Could I reach the boss room? I wanted to confirm this as soon as possible.
Just as I was about to descend the stairs to the third floor, the air shifted again. Once more, the same silence I’d felt when I first set foot in the dungeon descended. What in the world was going on? I had no idea. But I had a feeling the answer lay ahead. I picked up my pace slightly.
As I approached the boss room on the third floor, I noticed something strange. I sensed a powerful magical force. Yet it was cleverly concealed. It was only because I was familiar with this type of magic and skilled in it that I noticed the anomaly. Many others wouldn’t have, proceeding onward, unaware. No doubt they would reach the deserted boss room and be guided to the crystal that led back outside. One piece of the puzzle fell into place.
Well then, shouldn’t I expose the source of this anomaly? The source of the cleverly concealed magic. What could it be? It would consume a considerable amount of my own magic, but it couldn’t be helped. If the source turned out to be a formidable enemy, even I might struggle, but my gut feeling told me it wasn’t a particularly dangerous or strange entity. Unlike Saura, my intuition wasn’t infallible, but it felt close to certainty.
There were several ways to dispel concealment, but in this case, pouring magic power into it was the quickest way. I concentrated, channeling my magic towards the source. When I’d poured in about two-thirds of my magic, the concealment shattered like glass. I braced myself, unsure what to expect, but what lay there was something I could never have imagined.
“…A child!? And an elf, at that…!”
My shock was quickly replaced with focus. The moment I dispelled the concealment, I sensed the presence of monsters nearby. It seemed the dungeon was functioning as it normally did. I could tell instinctively.
I hurriedly erected a barrier. It wouldn’t be a problem for me, but I had to protect the child. Whether I wanted to examine the child or take things calmly, I needed to eliminate the monsters first. Surrounded by monsters upon waking up would only frighten a child. After this thought, I left the child within the barrier and set about eliminating every last monster on the floor.
It didn’t take long to return to where the child was. They were still unconscious, seemingly undisturbed since I left. I decided to examine them briefly.
“This is… the source of the magic.”
The child’s ears were pointed, a characteristic of elves. I recalled Schlie, the elf in our guild, mentioning that it was customary for elves to adorn their children with special earrings imbued with protective magic. They were said to treasure these earrings for life, rarely removing them. I remembered Schlie wearing a simple but powerful one as well.
The child’s earrings were beautifully crafted, the delicate floral designs intricate and lovely. The magic it contained was incredibly powerful. It was clear that whoever gave the earrings to this child, be it her parents or someone else, cherished her deeply.
“Hmm… ‘Meg,’ huh? This must be the child’s name.”
Inscribed on the back of the earring was what appeared to be a name. This, too, wasn’t always done, but I’d heard it was fairly common. Well, I could confirm it once the girl woke up.
I couldn’t find any other traces of magic on the child, even after using my own to investigate. While I couldn’t claim absolute certainty, I was confident there was no magic I wouldn’t be able to detect. Not to brag, but I considered myself among the world’s best in this field.
Now then, I should prepare something light for the child to eat when they woke up. I’d cast a spell to prevent monsters from appearing for another half a day, and fortunately, I had an agreement in place at the entrance that no one else would enter the dungeon for about the same amount of time. While carrying out a request, it was possible to apply for measures that prevented others from discovering one’s trump card. It was a permission not easily granted, requiring a certain level of rank within the guild.
And so, I spent a relaxing time preparing dinner and recovering the magical power I’d expended, waiting for the child to awaken.