Rei explained that by expanding the scope of the Seed of Restraint to include any information detrimental to him—moving beyond just the secret of Set—they could escape the dungeon much faster than by walking. Elena considered his words before finally speaking.
"Very well. Time is of the essence. Even a few hours are too precious to waste right now. I see no reason to refuse your proposal, Rei. However, I would at least like a proper explanation of the effects this Seed of Restraint carries."
"If that is your wish, Lady Elena, I shall follow suit," Ara added.
Hearing their agreement, Rei began his explanation.
"The Seed of Restraint is a spell that ensures a covenant. If the host breaks the oath made at the time of casting, a Flame Flower literally blooms inside their body, burning them alive. Of course, as long as you don't violate the terms, the magic will never trigger. It also carries a beneficial side effect: those embedded with the seed gain increased resistance to heat and fire. Furthermore, if the host is capable of using fire magic themselves, the mana consumption is reduced while the potency is increased. It functions as a sort of specialized buff."
Elena closed her eyes for a moment, processing the details of the Seed of Restraint. She nodded shortly thereafter.
"Understood. I had already pledged to accept this magic in my name back when we cleared B4F. Even if the scope of the secrecy has widened, the priority is to exit this dungeon immediately and inform my father of the betrayal by Vel and Viscount Sails's House."
"I have no objections either," Ara said. "I never had any intention of breaking a promise Lady Elena made with Lord Rei in the first place."
Relief washed over Rei’s face as he saw them both nod.
"Then I’ll cast it now. Are you ready?"
"Yes, proceed."
"Lady Elena, let me go first—"
"There is no need, Ara. I trust Rei. I don't believe he would try anything untoward here."
"...Understood."
With Elena and Ara both prepared, Rei focused his magic power and began the incantation.
"O Flame, thou art a seed. Should the host break their contract with me, let their life be the soil to bloom a beautiful Flame Flower in full glory."
As the chant progressed, fire manifested upon the shaft of the Death Scythe, Rei's magic catalyst. The fist-sized flame began to condense, shrinking until it was no larger than a tiny floral seed. Rei reached out and touched the shaft of the scythe to Elena's forehead.
"Seed of Restraint."
Upon activation, the spark of fire sank into Elena’s head and vanished.
"This is..."
Elena whispered, unsettled by the strange sensation of a fiery seed being planted in her mind. However, the discomfort faded within seconds. The feeling of the Seed of Restraint being embedded within her already felt like a distant, half-forgotten dream.
"The magic... it is done?"
"Yeah, it went perfectly. Next is Ara."
Having watched Elena accept the spell with composure, Ara approached Rei silently, showing no signs of hesitation.
"Please. I am ready."
Rei nodded and repeated the process, embedding the Seed of Restraint into her mind just as he had with Elena.
"There. Now Ara and I are physically incapable of sharing anything that would harm you. I believe it's time you shared this shortcut out of the dungeon."
"Right. You kept your end of the bargain; I’ll keep mine."
Rei gave Elena a small nod and withdrew the Paired Orbs from his Misty Ring. The two women stared at the fist-sized crystal ball that had appeared out of thin air.
"What is that?"
"A magic item called the Paired Orbs. It allows me to communicate freely with whoever holds its twin."
As he explained, Rei channeled magic power into the crystal. A few seconds later, the orb glowed, and the image of a crowned skeleton appeared within. It was the Lich Lord Grimm, the ancient mage who had once idolized Zephyle.
『Oh? If it isn't Rei. You've contacted me much sooner than I expected...』
"That voice..." Elena murmured. Even without seeing the face, the voice echoing in her mind was unmistakable.
"Yeah. It’s the being from the back space on B5F."
Rei answered Elena before addressing the crystal again.
"I didn't plan on calling so soon, but circumstances have changed. I need to borrow your help with space magic, Grimm."
『Borrowing mine, is it? Very well. Judging by the resonance of the orbs, you are currently on the fifth floor?』
"That's right."
『Hmm. Wait a moment.』
The image flickered and died.
"Rei, you really are full of surprises... No, we don't have time for a long story. But I expect a full explanation later."
『Hahaha! Pray, do not bully the boy too much.』
This time, the voice didn't come from the orb; it resonated directly inside their skulls. Even Ara, who had been struggling to follow the conversation, immediately recognized the presence.
"W-What!?"
Without a single herald or sign, Grimm manifested beside them. A crown sat atop his bare skull, a staff was gripped in his skeletal hand, and he radiated an overwhelming aura. Ara’s instincts screamed that she stood no chance against him, but she still white-knuckled her Power Axe, prepared to strike even a futile blow to protect Elena.
"Grimm, your presence is a bit much for them," Rei said calmly. "Tone it down."
『My apologies. One tends to get a bit lax with such things when living a life of solitary research. It is a troublesome habit.』
A dry, rattling chuckle echoed in the minds of the three humans and the gryphon. Instantly, the crushing pressure radiating from the Lich vanished.
"I need you to use space magic to send us out of the dungeon. Or rather, just to B1F in a secluded spot. It'll be a pain if people see us popping out of nowhere."
『I see... yes, that should be no issue. Fortunately, there are almost no souls near B1F at the moment.』
"Lord Grimm, was it?" Elena asked, her voice steady despite the situation. "Are you saying you surveyed the population of the first floor in a mere instant?"
『Umu. Such a thing is trivial. Hmm? Ah, I see. You are the one who underwent the Ritual of Inheritance.』
Grimm observed Elena for a few seconds.
"I am. A great deal has happened, and we must return to the surface immediately. Lord Grimm, you assisted us when we were descending toward the Altar of Inheritance. I beg you to lend us your strength once more."
Elena bowed her head deeply. A heavy silence filled the corridor.
『Kukuku... Hah-hah-hah-hah! Splendid! To think you would bow without hesitation to me, a being you should technically be hunting as a monster. First Rei, and now his companions... you are all quite amusing. Very well. I cannot very well refuse a request from those connected to Rei.』
The Lich’s mirth echoed in their heads as he swept his staff through the air. A short distance away, the very fabric of space began to warp and distort.
『There. Step through that distortion, and you shall find yourselves on the first floor.』
"To cast such magic without so much as a word..." Elena whispered to herself, bowing again to the distortion. "Thank you. I shall surely repay this debt one day."
『Perhaps we shall meet again. Now, I must return to my laboratory. That distortion will only remain for a few minutes, so do not dawdle.』
"Grateful as always," Rei said.
"Guruuu," Set added, bowing his head as well.
Grimm’s laughter echoed one last time before his form shimmered and vanished into nothingness.
"Was that... truly real?" Ara asked, her arms still trembling as she held her weapon.
Facing a being of that magnitude—and being subjected to that initial wave of deathly aura and dark magic—had left her mentally drained.
"It was real enough," Elena replied. "The spatial distortion proves it. If Lord Grimm was telling the truth, we don't have long before it closes. We must move."
"Wait! My Lady... are you certain we can trust that Lich?" Ara looked toward Rei as she asked. He was the one who had made the contact, after all.
"I trust him," Rei said simply. "He gave me the Paired Orbs, which are incredibly valuable. Besides, you felt his power, didn't you? You're experienced enough to know when you're outmatched."
"I... well, yes."
"If he wanted to harm us, he could have done it without all this effort. Set and I together couldn't take him. There's no reason for him to trick us when he could just erase us."
Ara fell silent, though her eyes remained wary. Elena placed a comforting hand on her knight's shoulder.
"Ara, I understand. After Vel's betrayal and the loss of Kyuste, it is hard to trust anyone. But as Rei said, Lord Grimm has no reason to deceive us. Furthermore, I did not sense malice in him. Did you, Rei?"
"No," Rei agreed. He privately wondered, however, how Elena could be so trusting of a Lich Lord so soon after being betrayed by her own subordinate.
Ara finally sighed and looked at the distortion. "I understand you trust him, my Lady. However, in the event of any danger, I shall be the first to enter."
"Fine. If that will ease your mind, I leave the vanguard to you."
"Yes!"
Ara gripped her Power Axe with both hands and steeled her resolve. With a sharp cry of "I'm going!", she charged into the shimmering distortion and vanished from B5F.
"It seems she made it through safely. Rei, shall we?"
"Yeah."
Rei, Elena, and Set stepped forward into the warp.
"This is... definitely B1F," Elena remarked, looking around the familiar stone walls.
"Looks like it. But where’s Ara?"
Rei glanced around, concerned that the knight was missing, but a moment later, she appeared from around a corner.
"Ah, my apologies! I had a bit too much momentum and ran too far ahead."
A small, relieved smile touched the faces of both Rei and Elena.
"Well then, let’s get out of here. We’re only about ten minutes from the entrance."
"Right. Around that corner and straight ahead should lead to the surface stairs."
Though they had only been inside for a few days, it felt as though months had passed. Rei led the way, his memory of the path clear, and Elena followed close behind.
Several kilometers away from the dungeon, in a place where monsters usually reigned supreme, a small camp had been established. Ten figures sat around a fire.
Normally, camping in the wilderness for several days would be a death sentence, but these ten were exceptionally skilled. More importantly, anyone who saw them would have fled in terror to the nearest Guild branch. Most of them bore appearances that defied humanity: faces made of solid rock like Golems, legs like tree roots, or multiple eyes scattered across their features.
Their leader suddenly looked up. From the waist up, he looked like a human mage in robes, but his lower body was that of a giant spider. Though he resembled an Arachne, the fact that his upper half was male proved he was something else entirely.
"...He’s here."
As the Deformed Mage spoke, the others turned their gazes toward the magic circle at the center of the camp.
If the high-ranking officials of the Kingdom of Mireana had seen this group, they would have recognized them instantly. These were the Beast Soldiers—the products of the Bestia Empire’s Ritual of Inheritance. They were living weapons, more monster than man.
The magic circle flared with a blinding light. When it faded, a single human lay in the center.
"The assassination of the Princess General failed," the mage spat, looking down at the newcomer. "Expecting anything from a common traitor was a mistake. Incompetent fool."
At his feet lay Vel. He was missing his left arm, his face was a ruin of melted flesh, and his legs were riddled with poisoned needles. He was barely clinging to consciousness.
"We’re withdrawing," the mage commanded. "If the girl had died, we were going to raze the nearby villages, but there's no point in lingering now that the plan has collapsed."
"What about this failure?" asked a man whose face was covered in scales and gills like a Fishman.
The mage looked at Vel again. The man would likely be dead within hours if left alone. However, since he had technically sworn fealty to the Empire, he might still possess some scrap of useful information.
"Bring him. Even if he’s useless for intelligence, he’ll make fine material for human experimentation."
"Understood."
Following their leader's orders, the Beast Soldiers roughly applied emergency first aid to the mangled Vel and began their swift march back toward the Bestia Empire.