"I think the two of us should just keep going and look for the treasure chest on our own."
After being teleported, Ryune and I were discussing our next move.
"Yeah, I agree."
Waiting here wasn't likely to bring us back to Nyau. We had a much better chance of running into her if we actually kept moving toward the objective.
With our plan decided, we set out immediately.
I wasn't particularly worried about being separated from Nyau. She was a Sage, after all; clearing a dungeon like this solo would be a walk in the park for her. If anything, we were the ones who had to worry about making it through this in one piece.
"Kiskacchi, look! A monster! Over there!"
As we followed the path through the dungeon, Ryune shouted and pointed ahead.
It was just a Slime.
Among the various monsters one could encounter in a dungeon, Slimes were relatively weak. Even I could handle them without breaking a sweat.
"Stay back a moment."
I drew the Sword of Raging Flames from the sheath at my waist and charged. Since its mucus was highly toxic, I was careful not to let any touch me as I swung my blade.
I pierced the small red core inside the creature's gelatinous body. In an instant, the Slime stopped moving.
"Whoa, amazing, Kiskacchi!" Ryune cheered, practically hopping with joy.
"It's not that big a deal."
I had faced countless monsters in dungeons before this. I couldn't exactly let myself be held back by something like a Slime.
We continued deeper into the dungeon, clearing out monsters as we went. None of them were particularly strong, so they didn't require much effort to put down.
"A lot of monsters are suddenly popping up, huh? I wonder what Elsie is thinking."
"Who knows? Honestly, I've given up on trying to understand how that woman's mind works."
As we talked, another monster appeared.
A Kobold. It wasn't a particularly formidable foe, and I could have easily finished it myself, but...
"Hey, Ryune. I've been doing all the fighting so far. Want to swap out for a bit?"
Thinking back, I realized I hadn't seen Ryune use magic even once. Stronger enemies might appear later, so I wanted to get a sense of her capabilities while we were still in the shallower areas. Since she was Nyau's Apprentice, she had to be reasonably skilled.
"Eh?" Ryune blinked, her eyes going wide at the suggestion. "You seem to be handling things just fine, Kiskacchi. Is there really a need for me to fight?"
"I want to see what you're capable of. There's no guarantee I'll be able to handle every single enemy we face on my own from here on out."
"Hmm..." Ryune looked away, appearing troubled. "Well, you see... Master told me I'm not allowed to use magic when she isn't around."
"What do you mean?" I furrowed my brows at her unexpected answer.
"Like I mentioned before, I couldn't control my mana at all back when I was in school. After I met Master, it got a little better, but the trade-off is that my mana has a tendency to rampage now..."
"Your mana rampages...?"
"Yeah. So, she told me never to use magic unless she's there to supervise."
Ryune gazed at me apologetically.
"I see..."
"Sorry, Kiskacchi. For keeping it a secret until now."
"No, it's not something you need to apologize for. If there are circumstances involved, then it can't be helped," I replied, scratching my head. I couldn't risk having her magic go out of control and put us in even greater danger.
"I'm doing fine on my own for now, anyway."
"Okay! I'm counting on you then, Kiskacchi!"
Seeing Ryune's innocent smile made me sigh inwardly. Having her rely on me so straightforwardly was a bit embarrassing—and a heavy responsibility.
"Fine. I'll take the lead, so just make sure you stay close."
I braced myself, determined to keep her safe. There was no telling what was waiting for us deeper in the dungeon. Carelessness was forbidden.
After continuing for a while and defeating more monsters, we eventually reached a dead end.
"Wow, what a cute door!"
My eyes were also drawn to the sight that had prompted Ryune's cheers. The door was made of pure white marble, carved with delicate rose motifs and decorated with gold leaf. At the top of the frame, the words 'Room of Truth' were inscribed in an elegant, flowing script.
"It's a cute door, but it feels kind of creepy, doesn't it?"
"Yeah. As usual, I have no idea what Elsie is thinking."
Forcing us into maid outfits, making us explore a dungeon... Elsie continued to take inexplicable actions. And now, this door looked like it had been plucked straight out of a young girl's dreamland. Did it have some deeper meaning, or was it just another whim?
"Hmm, I wonder if Elsie just likes cute things?"
"Maybe. But one thing's for sure: there's definitely a trap on the other side of that door."
"But there aren't any other paths, right?"
"Right. Which means we have no choice but to open it."
Ryune and I shared a look. Even knowing it was a trap, we had to move forward. Having steeled our resolve, we pushed the door open together.