What purpose could a magic circle leading to the deepest floor possibly serve?
In the Edward Route, its activation was the result of Alicia’s schemes. In any other scenario, it was usually triggered by a blunder from the heroine or one of the capture targets. There were various other routes and methods to reach this place, but I will omit those for now.
After walking a short distance down a single path from the teleportation circle, we reached an open expanse. A majestic space reminiscent of an ancient temple stretched before us. In front of a massive door at the far end sat a giant made of mithril. It sat there as if guarding something—or perhaps as if it were longingly awaiting someone’s arrival.
Once that Mithril Golem gatekeeper was defeated, the doors would open of their own accord to reveal one of the Holy Artifacts: a pendant enshrined upon a pedestal. Initially, the characters simply perceived it as a valuable piece of jewelry. Each capture target would present it to the heroine, saying something like, "I’m giving this to you for healing me. I know it will look perfect on you."
Its true value was only revealed during the story’s climax. When a calamity struck and the Royal Capital was pushed to the brink of ruin, the Holy Artifact would begin to shine, lending its power to the heroine and allowing the city to escape its crisis.
Depending on the capture target, there were other episodes involving the collection of Holy Artifacts, and the number required to finish the game varied. However, the Edward Route was the only one where that single pendant was sufficient. Edward was blatantly favored by the developers. Whether lowering the difficulty should be called "preferential treatment" was debatable, but since a powerful villain appeared only in his route—complete with cool choreography and plenty of unique illustrations—it was certainly the "premium" experience.
Regardless, I had memories of every player who touched the game saying the same thing: "Your Highness, you are far too easy."
"Um... did I perhaps do something bad?"
As we walked down the only available path after the teleportation, Mariana tilted her head, looking at the lowest floor illuminated by our magic lighting.
"Well, probably... No, it definitely wasn't a good thing," Alicia replied, pressing a hand to her forehead with a sigh.
I was in complete agreement. I decided then and there that I would whip Mariana into shape during our summer boot camp. Even if this was just some lingering trace of her protagonist attributes, I would show no mercy if it caused trouble for Alicia. My top priority was Alicia; her peace of mind mattered more than anything. No matter what Volzea said, if Mariana disturbed that tranquility, there was no place for her on our path.
"This seems to be the only way. Is it okay to keep going?"
"We don't have much of a choice," I replied.
Stepping on a trap like this in a dungeon usually meant checkmate. Waiting for rescue was impossible, and because monsters in a dungeon dissipated into mist upon death, you couldn't even survive by hunting for food.
So, what should one do? Keep moving forward. That was it. If you were lucky, you might eventually find a passage leading to a different level.
"Generally speaking, these teleportation traps either lead to the absolute bottom or to a different room on the same floor. It’s important to memorize our surroundings," I explained.
"I see."
"But either way, if you trigger one of these in a normal dungeon, you're dead. Mariana, you would have killed us all just now. Keep that in mind for next time."
"I-I'm so sorry!"
"Don't scare her so much... is what I'd like to say, but it really isn't a laughing matter," Alicia added.
Few dungeons had ever been fully conquered. They remained unknown entities that would ruthlessly attempt to kill you, much like the harshest extremes of nature. One had to be careful.
Even so, I enjoyed exploring them. Mostly because it felt so "other-worldly."
"Ragna, we'll be okay, right? You're being unusually calm."
"This dungeon was supposedly built by the Ancient Sage. I think I recall reading in some text that if you defeat the final protector, you can return to the surface."
"You 'think'? Are you sure?"
"I vowed to protect you no matter what happens. It'll be fine."
"Well, that’s true... Th-thank you..."
"What a cheesy line," Mariana muttered, letting out a weary sigh.
Ignoring her, we continued walking until we reached the innermost sanctum. We entered a massive circular hall where thick pillars towered toward the ceiling. I stood in front of the girls, staring straight ahead.
If my knowledge was correct, the Mithril Golem should be sitting in front of the door at the back. Assuming the game data held true, that is.
"...Who the hell are you?" I whispered.
The scene before me was fundamentally different from my memories. A humanoid figure wreathed in intense flames stood before the Mithril Golem—or rather, what was left of it. The guardian had been melted into a puddle of glowing sludge.
"...?"
Reacting to my voice, the figure turned around. It wore a mocking smile.
"—!"
In that instant, I felt a wave of pure, murderous intent. Following my intuition, I snapped a barrier into existence. The humanoid swung its arm, and a violent torrent of fire erupted toward us.
The flames roared as they slammed into the barrier. Even though I held the line, the sheer volume of magic power within that fire was staggering. The deflected flames clung to the floor and walls, continuing to burn with unnatural intensity.
"W-w-w-wait! Is that thing the protector!?" Mariana shrieked.
Whether it was the intended guardian or something else entirely, I didn't know. A Mithril Golem was supposed to be a magic-resistant, incredibly durable entity, yet this being had melted it down to nothing. Whatever it was, it was lethally dangerous.
"...Both of you, stay back."
The fact that it was fire-based was particularly troublesome. Magical flames used mana as fuel, so they didn't need oxygen to burn, but the superheated air would still scorch your lungs if you didn't have the proper resistance.
"Watch out for the heat... Alicia? Are you okay?"
"Fire... n-no... get away..."
Faced with the flickering, dancing flames, Alicia had collapsed. Her legs had given out, and she was clutching the scar on her face, trembling in a state of near-total panic.
Right. Fire. Her trauma had been triggered. No matter how much she had grown or how bravely she acted, the terror of that defeat was still buried deep inside her.
"Mariana, can you use water-attribute defense magic?"
"If it's just Aqua Veil..."
"Deploy it with everything you've got and stay by Alicia's side."
"Y-yes!"
I'm counting on you, Sage's Disciple. As long as those two weren't caught in the crossfire, I could handle the rest.
"Ragna-san, what are you going to do?" Mariana asked, her voice trembling.
I looked back at her and gave a small, confident smile.
"I'm going to kill that thing."