074 Water Dungeon

Dungeons have all sorts of entry methods.

The simple ones just have a flight of stairs leading down into a basement. Others have Teleportation Magic woven into the ground, whisking you away the very moment you step foot on the trigger.

Forests, volcanoes, mountains—there are countless dungeons in this world. And we were currently standing on the threshold of one of them: the Water Temple, otherwise known as the Water Dungeon. However...

"Are we... actually in the right place?"

"Seems like it," Allen replied, glancing my way. "Wait, Weiss, don't tell me you can't swim?"

"Don't be an idiot. Of course I can."

What lay before us was a small, unassuming lake, sitting solitary in the middle of the forest. According to the map we'd been given, the entrance was somewhere inside. We had sprinted here at full speed, so there was no doubt we were the first ones on the scene.

"How are we supposed to get in? Do we just... dive?" Allen wondered aloud.

I searched through the depths of my memories. Come to think of it, I felt like I remembered something like this. I didn't recall every single tiny detail of the side stories, but I never expected to see this one in the flesh.

"Allen, stand right there at the edge."

"Eh? Why?"

"Just do it. Stand there."

"O-okay. Just don't push me, alright!?"

"Yeah, yeah. I won't push you."

Allen stood there with such foolish honesty it almost made my heart ache. Was he setting me up for a bit? No, he's just a moron.

"Anyway—see ya."

"Wha—heeeey!?"

With a swift shove, I sent Allen tumbling into the lake. Well, it was less of a tumble and more of a targeted strike by yours truly.

Then, I waited.

"...He’s not coming back up."

"Did he drown!?" Carta shrieked.

"That would be one way to solve my problems, but it probably just means this is the right spot. Let's go, Carta."

"Wh-what? Right, okay."

She hesitated at the water's edge.

"...What are you doing? Aren't you going in?" I asked.

"E-eh?! After you, Weiss-kun!"

"I’ll have you know I'm a firm believer in 'ladies first.'"

Okay, even I knew how pathetic that sounded. I summoned every ounce of my Courage—actually, let’s just say I casually jumped in. With my fingers firmly pinching my nose, of course.

"...I see. So this is the Dungeon."

It was as if the world had flickered. I was suddenly standing in a place that looked like a massive basement. It was incredibly spacious, filled with towering structures that looked like pillars. Except every single one of them was made of... water?

"Hey! You said you weren't going to push me!"

Ah, right. I forgot I'd brought the Protagonist along.

"My elbow just happened to graze you," I lied.

"Well... if you say so..."

Duke is the same way, but why are these guys so damn gullible? It was getting harder and harder to suppress the urge to point out how stupid they were being.

A moment later, Carta arrived. Naturally, she was pinching her nose shut too.

"I’m drowning! I’m drowninnnnng!"

"No, you're not."

"Huh? ...Oh. Thank goodness..."

"But Weiss," Allen noted, "you were pinching your nose too—"

"Shut up, Runner-up."

"Yes, sir..."

Wow, that really works on him. Good to know.

But honestly, I didn't have time for this.

"Enough with the idle chatter. Get your heads in the game. Carta, it looks like your Flight Magic is going to be useless in here for the time being. Stay in the rear and focus on support."

"Understood!"

"Allen, you're on the front lines with me. Let me tell you one thing before we start: inside a dungeon, it’s a scramble for resources. There’s a high chance we’ll end up in a conflict with the other teams. You know what needs to be done if that happens, right?"

This wasn't a game. Even if they called it an 'exam,' it wasn't some controlled test back at the Academy. One mistake here meant death. And it might not even be a monster that does the deed—there was a very real possibility of being murdered by another person.

I wondered if Allen truly understood that.

"Of course I'll fight," he said. The usual goofy smirk was gone, replaced by a cold determination. "I know better than anyone that you can't survive on platitudes alone."

Well then.

"Fine. I have nothing else to say."

And so, our conquest of the dungeon began.