Heroine Survival Vol 4 Chapter 7

Dungeon Exploration   Floor 70

Originally conquering a dungeon took a lot of time. Even at the  beginning floor, without the map that the adventurer guild had finished,  just conquering the first floor would take more than one day.

That was even truer for the lower floor where the monsters were  stronger and the path complicated. There would be traps to evade,  monsters to deal with, and sometimes there would also be path that led  to the floor above instead to below. There would also be cases where it  took multiple days to conquer a floor.

But, the route to head down from floor 70 of this dungeon was recorded in the document that the royal family owned.

Normally the objective of entering a dungeon would be to collect the  『treasure』 that was created by the dungeon in that floor, but we ignored  all of them and simply kept advancing deeper. We took no side trip and  followed the route that was written in the document.

My general impression of dungeon was that I thought the monsters would become more powerful the deeper we went.

In the upper floors there were only low ranked monsters and they  would become stronger the deeper you went, but it didn’t mean that below  floor 70 there would only be mythical class monster appearing.

What changed from there wasn’t the monster’s strength, but the  “difficulty”. At the middle level the monsters’ appearance was still  sporadic, but at the lower level they kept appearing without giving us  any time to rest. It made it easier for us to get ambushed.

The monsters in this area were mostly rank 3 ogre or orc. Furthermore  they didn’t appear solo but always in group. What was even more  troublesome than that was that the monsters in low level were very  aggressive.

The monsters at the low level were hungry. From the start there  wasn’t any food inside a dungeon to fill the monsters’ stomach. But the  monsters gathered here because the dungeon was alive and transforming  into the optimum environment for them.

Magic particles could also serve as nutrient. The thick magic  particles inside the dungeon could allow monster to survive even without  them needing to eat a lot.

But it didn’t mean that it could satisfy their desire to eat. What the monsters sought was human meat.

The dungeon were regulating the monsters by guiding their mind to  prevent them from devouring each other, and dropping the corpses of  human who unfortunately got caught in a trap at the upper level to lower  level so that the monsters wouldn’t get too used to being hungry.

Because of that the monsters in this lower level were constantly  aggressive. They would sniff our scent even from afar, followed the  track we left on the path we passed through, and attacked through day  and night.

But, not all of the enemies were rank 3. When monsters appeared in  great number, not all of them would have high rank. Some of them would  come as subordinate of the higher ranked monsters, like rank 2 hobgoblin  or high kobold that was just barely rank 3.

In that kind of situation, the royal guards would also join the  fight, but the royal brother Amor showed his disapproval when they went  out to fight like that.

「What are you doing!? It’s the job of the adventurers to clear out  the enemy. You knights have the duty to protect the next generation  young royalties like Ervan and Elena aren’t you!?」

The way he said it was bad but it was a correct argument. We were  hired for that duty, and nobody among us adventurers had delicate mind  that would feel hurt from hearing such words.

But, although it was the correct argument, there would still be people who felt dissatisfied if it was said with the wrong tone.

Wouldn’t the group be able to advance quicker if they also joined the  fight? The knights who felt like their chance to show off their stuff  got taken away from them were accumulating dissatisfaction. In turn Sera  and Elena who were doing their best to quell that down were also  accumulating mental fatigue.

But more importantly……Carla was still not making any move even though  no one would be able to stop her when inside the dungeon like this. Her  silence felt just a little eerie.

.

At the beginning everyone still felt somewhat high spirited when they  prepared to camp. Even when the royalties ate the modest meal which was  a first experience for them, they were still putting on a smile.

But now, several days after entering the dungeon, people who scowled  each time it was time for meal started to appear. Inside here we  couldn’t know whether it was noon or night. They had to sleep in fear  and even when they woke up, the area would still be dark like before.  Gradually dissatisfaction and fatigue were starting to show in  everyone’s face.

「……It’s only us and that young lady who are still energetic huh.」

「Uh huh.」

Viro muttered while nibbling on ration during the break. I also replied noncommittally while glancing at her direction.

Carla didn’t join the royalties even during break and stood alone.  The servants of the royal family feared her and wouldn’t approach near  her. Sera and Elena acted tactfully and did things like offering her tea  and the like. In respond she would accept what they gave her but other  than that she would take out something like a candy from her spatially  expanded bag and snacked on it.

Carla who was used with being inside dungeon looked like she was  having fun instead for being given food even if she stayed quiet. I knew  because I was the same. I who was used to camp outside alone found the  current situation to be not that hard.

Conversely I thought that someone like Viro who was in the group of  wanting to rest in an inn as much as possible during journey would  complain for having to eat while standing but…….

「This is still better than the food you made.」

We could easily find monster meat everywhere here, so I thought that  we could just eat that without touching our precious food store, but I  was strictly ordered that I must never touch them, Well, it wasn’t like I  wanted to eat the meat of humanoid monster by preference.

Setting aside Carla, Elena too was eating her food without  complaining. Her body was weak so I was concerned that she might not  have an appetite, but nobody could complain in this situation. ……Other  than “him”.

「Head maid! This meal isn’t suitable for Elena. Isn’t there anything better?」

「Uncle, I’m fine……」

He too must be trying to protect his niece in his own way but, it was  completely a futile effort and caused a burden instead to Elena who  tried to stop him.

The knights were discontent seeing the frail Elena forcing herself  like that, but Amor who got his hands full with himself didn’t realize  that there was such atmosphere.

.

That delicate atmosphere crumbled when we had gotten down by two floors.

There was an open space where multiple paths crossed. Several people  including Viro and I lifted our face when everyone reached the center of  the place.

「Everyone-!」

「Draw your weapon! A lot of monsters are coming-!」

The warning pushed us and the knights to draw our weapon. Mira sent the low rank wind spirit she employed to the air.

「O spirit of wind, place the protection of wind around us!」

The protection of wind enveloped the group, at the same time low rank  monsters like goblin and hobgoblin surged out from several paths that  connected to this open space.

「Tsk, a “monster room”!」

The “monster room” that Viro shouted was a kind of trap in dungeon.  It referred to a phenomenon where a lot of monsters suddenly overflowed  in a place that seemed like safe.

「Let’s go!!」

「We’ll back them up too with our pride as the royal guards on the line!!」

『For the pride of the royal guards!!』

Dalton and Feld rushed forward, at the same time the knights who  didn’t get too many chance to fight until now also rushed toward the  monsters that were trying to surround us.

In this situation the priority should be to protect the royalties.  But the dissatisfaction of the young knights who had been held back  until now had reached the limit and they became unable to even make a  normal decision after staying for several days inside this dungeon.

It became a sudden melee and I also took out my pendulum to give back up. But then a voice stopped me.

「Is it alright for you to leave?」

「……Carla?」

Carla’s voice sounded amused. At the same time a lot of monsters  started to flood out too from the direction of the path that we had  passed to here.

「Wha-, get back here knights! Shit-」

Amor noticed that and raised his voice, but it didn’t reach the  knights who had gotten embroiled in chaotic melee. Clara seemed to  keenly feel the danger to her life in that situation and staggered as  though she had anemia. Ervan hurriedly caught her in his arms.

Seeing their masters like that caused the servants of the royalty who  didn’t specialize in fighting to begin feeling even more flustered.

「Calm down-, first make sure of the safety of his highness and the others!」

In this situation Sera who had the strength to fight couldn’t move in  order to manage them. Then my gaze met Elena who still tried to protect  the crown prince even in such situation.

「I-I won’t let anything hurt them!」

Amor raised his voice to shake himself free from the fear and pointed his short sword toward the approaching high kobold.

This must be his first real battle even though he had received  legitimate training in sword. I was impressed with the way he tried to  protect Elena and Ervan despite his fear but, that wasn’t your job.

「Hih」

The instant the claws of the attacking kobold was about to tear Amor’s throat, a pendulum’s blade pierced its face.

「……Wha-!?」

「Step back.」

I stepped in front of Amor who was dumbfounded seeing the monster  falling on the ground before him. Then I thrust a dagger on an  approaching hobgoblin before slashing the throats of two kobolds.

「It’s my work from here.」

「Aria!」

Elena who was under Sera’s protection let out a pained voice toward  me who rushed out to deal with the monsters that approached from the  rear.

Perhaps Elena recalled that time when I almost died to protect her.

But……it’s alright Elena.

I directed a smile just for a moment toward her to reassure her before readying my pendulum and knife.

The dungeon trap “monster room” was an attack by large amount of  monster when the victim stepped into a space where there was nothing. It  was a highly dangerous trap that was difficult to avoid, but if there  was a silver lining to be found was how all the monsters that got drawn  by the dungeon’s “call” had low rank.

Even so “number” was a threat by itself. Even if each monster wasn’t a  threat individually, if a single person got attacked by more than ten,  it would become a lethal danger even if the attackers were just rank 1  or 2 monsters.

Even for Dalton and other members of Rainbow Knight, although they  could defeat these enemies in one hit, the requirement that they  couldn’t allow the enemies to approach the protection targets and that  they had to support the knights made them unable to exert all their  strength.

They were “orthodox” adventurer for good and bad. Even though they  could slaughter ogre or troll in one blow, their strength and weapon  were too powerful to face numerous small fries in the middle of melee.

「W-wait! What’s the point of a young girl like you going-!」

Amor who tried to fight at the frontline despite being a royalty raised his voice in concern for my wellbeing.

Although his behavior right now was horrible, it could be seen from  Elena and Ervan’s attitude toward him that normally he was a good  person. That was why he didn’t wish for my death even though I was an  adventurer, an occupation that he was unable to stomach.

Surely someone like him who was only able to believe what he had seen  with his own eyes thought that it was impossible for a girl in the same  age of Elena to fight at the frontline.

He tried to go to the forefront himself, perhaps because of his manly  pride or noble dignity. I guessed it was admirable but, right now this  side didn’t have any proper combatant remaining.

The knights couldn’t get back because they got caught in a melee.  There were still few guards remaining behind but, the duty of these  people including Sera was more like 『shield the royalties with your  life』 rather than fighting.

「There’s no time. Don’t get in the way.」

「Wha-」

The monsters from the rear had approached close. I radiated pressure  for an instant at Amor who was in the way to shut him up, then I lightly  waved my hand to Elena and Sera, stood in front of the swarm of  monsters that were rushing like an avalanche, and cut my way through  them like a knife splitting a wave.

Open your eyes. I’ll show you the way “I” fight.

『GOGYA!』

I quickly tapped my heel. Then I jumped and landed a kick with the  blade in my shoes. The face of the kobold that was running at the  forefront was torn together with its skull.

I threw a slashing type pendulum from my Storage before I landed and  tore the throat of the goblin that tried to slip from my side. My scythe  type pendulum deeply split the brain of a hobgoblin.

『GIGYAGYA!』

Two goblins attacked me at that timing with rusty short sword.

The instant I landed, I absorbed the impact using my knee joint and  thigh muscle while using the momentum to make my bending leg to kick on  the ground. I leaped forward and planted the black knife and black  dagger in my hands into the two goblins’ foreheads faster than they  could swing down their short sword.

『GAAAAAAAAA!!』

A high kobold with large build and an orc approached at that moment. They thrust using their rusty spear and stone axe at me.

My hands let go of the knife and dagger that stabbed into the goblins  and bent backward to dodge the approaching blades. Without stopping I  kicked up at the jaw of the high kobold from below using the blade at my  toes. I dodged the spurt of blood while swinging down the weighted type  pendulum to smash the orc’s skull.

『GIGYAA!!』

The kobold and goblin that came rushing next had their throat torn  open at the same time using the slashing pendulum that had its power  increased from centrifugal force.

「HAAAA!!」

I recovered the dagger using the string of the general purpose  pendulum and grabbed it midair, planted it into the forehead of an  approaching hobgoblin, then I grabbed my other knife in the air and  rotated with my whole body to behead a high kobold.

The high kobold’s freshly severed head flew while spurting black  blood everywhere. It made the wave of approaching monsters paused  slightly.

Even though they were called here by the dungeon and in a hungry  state, it seemed there was still al ittle bit of sense remaining inside  them. But I had no intention of overlooking that opportunity.

I targeted the goblins at the left and right with the slashing and  scythe pendulums. They tore through the two’s necks before I pulled on  the strings with all my strength. The two kobolds who were on their path  had their throat cut open with a trail of blood spray left behind on  the pendulums’ wake. Then I rotated them while rushing to the midst of  the monsters.

『GUGYA!?』

『GIII!』

The eyes of the highly spirited monsters were finally filled with  fear seeing me killing them in succession without even a moment of  pause. Their movement began to dull down.

Fear caused your body to be stiff. In the battlefield the so called  『moderate fear with appropriate amount of tension』 didn’t exist. If you  didn’t conquer or overcome it, there would only be “death” waiting for  you.

I sidestepped the jerkily moving monsters with paper thin distance  while caressing the carotid artery of several goblins using my black  knife and stabbing my dagger into the jaw of a petrified high kobold  from below until its brain.

『GI……GYIGAAA!!』

The monsters started moving simultaneously in terror seeing that.

I ducked to dodge the multiple spears that the monsters thrust,  grabbed the stone floor with my hands like a cat, and shot out like  arrow using my arms’ muscle strength and my legs’ kick. I slashed apart  the throat of a hobgoblin with my heel’s knife while knocking up the jaw  of the orc right in front me with my palm heel, then I horizontally cut  apart its throat that became completely open with my knife.

『GAAAA!!』

I used my left arm’s hand protector to parry the rusty hatchet that a  hobgoblin haphazardly thrust. The blade was diverted to a nearby  kobold, cutting it apart. I cartwheeled to kick up the arm of a high  kobold that attacked me with its sharp claws while directing it to the  hobgoblin that attacked me with hatchet. The two crashed on each other  and lost their balance before I killed them simultaneously with knife  and dagger.

I dodged the blades of the approaching monsters only using Detection  that I focused to the extreme. I crouched like a cat, grabbed on the  stone floor to slip through right under the feet of the monsters while  killing them in turn starting from the monsters that showed opening.

No hesitation. Also no fear.

I killed all the enemies before my eyes.

I constantly spun to change position while swinging around my  pendulums with centrifugal force to cut open the neck of monsters,  smashed their skull, and tore through their carotid artery.

Only half remaining──

***

「……What’s……this……」

Hoarse voice leaked out from Amor’s throat.

That adventurer was a slender girl with traces of childishness still  remaining in her looks, no different at all from his niece Elena and the  fiancées of his nephew Ervan.

It seemed she was acquainted with Elena but, the way she acted to her  was disrespectful for a mere adventurer in the presence of a royalty.  Just like how she ignored the existence of Amor who tried to protect the  young royalties and faced the monster swarm on her lonesome.

Even the royal guards here who had reached rank 3 wouldn’t get out  unscathed if they got surrounded by five armed hobgoblins while alone.  That was because knights were trained with the assumption that they  would have comrades at their side in the battlefield and there would be  no need for them to face many enemies alone. On top of that they also  had no experience of going through such thing in real battle.

Furthermore here the opponents weren’t just rank 1 goblin or kobold,  there were also rank 2 hobgoblin and orc and high kobold that were rank 3  although only barely.

Even if the girl was a member of the famous adventurer party “Rainbow  Sword”, there was no way she would be able to win. ……That was what he  thought.

But the girl used strange weapon and martial art to kill dozens of monsters in the blink of eye.

A life would have been reaped without fail each time the girl whirled  as though she was dancing and her black blade glinted. The girl’s “ash”  covered hair became dyed red from the blood spurt and spray of the  monsters. That look coupled with her well-ordered appearance reminded  him of a 『rose made from iron』.

「……”Ash Crowned Princess”……」

One of the luggage carriers who also served as guard absentmindedly muttered those words. Amor spontaneously turned toward him.

「What’s that……, do you know about that girl-!?」

Amor grabbed at the cloth of that guard. That guard’s expression convulsed even while he nodded his head.

「I-I don’t know that much! But……if I remember correctly, there was an  “ash covered” girl who got called like that after destroying many  branches of assassin guild and thief guild……」

The man answered based on the “rumor” that he remembered some  merchants or the like were talking about. Then behind him another  servant looked as though he recalled something and raised his voice.

「I also heard about it once! There was a rumor that a single girl  annihilated a group orc that attacked a baron territory at the north by  herself……」

Ervan and Clara also gulped from hearing that statement. Even Elena  and Sera who knew about that rumor opened their eyes wide when hearing  that coupled with the fierceness of the scene in front of them.

Clara also knew about that information. After all that assassin guild  branch that was annihilated by that Ash Crowned Princess was near  Dandall.

There was also other unbelievable rumors like a thief guild that was  made up from fierce fighters getting annihilated by the same girl, but  they could only believe those rumors after watching the girl fighting  before their eyes. Clar felt like her sight turned dark when she  recalled how she was thinking of eliminating such girl.

As though to seek for salvation, she turned her eyes toward Ervan who  told her that he would 『protect』 her and continued to hold her hand.  There she saw how even though he was also feeling afraid like Clara by  the violent scene before them, there was only that “girl” being  reflected inside his eyes as though he was under her charm. It made  Clara’s consciousness slipping away.

「Clara-!」

Ervan caught Clara who fainted and fell down, while continuing to  stare and tremble at the girl who he thought as 『simply a pretty girl』  when he got acquainted with her before.

Amor too muttered in a daze after hearing the unbelievable stories.

「That’s absurd……」

Impossible. There was no way such things could be true.

That “common sense” got rewritten by the “reality” of the girl who  killed monsters before his eyes. It engraved “fear” into Amor’s mind  like a wedge.

「Aria……」

Seeing the unbelievable growth of the girl who once exchange an oath  with her in the past, Elena called her name while placing her hand on  her chest as though to ascertain the “oath” once more.

While gazes of surprise, excitement, and fear were directed there,  only Carla was staring at the figure of the girl who fought as though  she was dancing with ecstasy in her expression.

Carla kept doing nothing except watching without dirtying her hand  until now was because she wanted to saw the figure of the girl killing  and getting hurt even more than taking away life with her own hands.

She let out that twisted passion together with a heated sigh, then she turned a heated gaze toward the girl.

「As I thought, no matter whose blood it is, a blood soaked Aria is pretty……」

***

『GU……GAa』

*GOKIN-…* The neck snapped with such sound. The last high kobold fell  down after I loosened up the string around its broken neck.

It was over with this. The dungeon’s trap ended and around me there  were the corpses of more than fifty monsters lying in pools of blood.

The extermination at the other side had also just finished. The  knights who returned back in panic saw the situation here and took a  step back in shock.

There were also the young knights who talked to me on the ship among  them, but even they backed away from feeling overwhelmed seeing me  soaked in blood. The opened a path for me to walk through.

I lightly waved my hand at Elena who was among the royalties in the  middle of the knights. In respond she sighed with a slightly angry face  before finally she smiled just a little, as though saying that it  couldn’t be helped.

「Aria-!」

I saw Feld and Mira running this way from my path ahead. I too took a step ahead toward the height where they were standing on.

I became stronger yet again.

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