ALL NOVEL Chapter 31.2
“Do you regret it?”
“Regret what?”
“Helping Claire.”
“Not at all.”
I sipped my tea, and Veronica stared at me until I could feel the heat of her gaze on my side. Then she chuckled softly.
“Well, at least you’ve left them now. That much is fortunate. It’d be even better if you came under me. Sometimes I think about it—you might be happier under my protection.”
The chirping of insects filled the quiet darkness. I took another sip of tea, watching the flickering firelight sway with the wind.
The silence lingered until Veronica broke it with a single remark.
“You’re an expensive man.”
“Well, I’m the only Sage in the world. Of course, I’m priceless.”
I snorted, and Veronica let out a soft giggle.
“Obtaining something precious is never easy. Following the light is the same. It may seem impossible at first, but with constant effort, you can reach it.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s why I feel a bit reassured.”
Lying on her stomach, Veronica turned to face me, smiling mischievously.
“Now that you’re out of Claire’s party, I doubt anyone will dare meddle with you.”
***
The next morning, I transformed Moonlight into a trumpet.
Bwaa~ Ba-ba-ba-ba~ Ba-ba-da-ba-da-ba~! Ba-ba-baaa~! Ba-ba-da-ba-da-ba-ba~! Ba-ba-ba-ba~ Ba-ba-ba-ba Ba-ba-da-ba-da-ba~!
Wake-up calls were best done with a trumpet. As the familiar tune echoed through the camp, the groggy members began to stir and rise one by one.
“Ugh… is it morning already?”
“Breakfast is ready, so eat first. Then head over to the stream for a quick wash.”
For breakfast, I had prepared pancakes, fried eggs, grilled bacon, and soup. As I placed the food on plates, the others, who had been sluggishly moving about, finally gathered around.
“Doesn’t feel like we slept outdoors. I feel pretty good.”
“Hey, Sage. Looks like the Princess isn’t fully awake yet,” said Luchendi, pointing to Lucille, who clung tightly to her.
As Luchendi debated whether to shake her awake, I gently stroked Lucille’s hair.
“Princess, it’s time to wake up.”
“Uuugh…”
Whispering in her ear, I finally got her to open her eyes. She blinked groggily at me, then gave a faint, awkward smile as sunlight illuminated her face.
“Good morning… If only every morning could be like this.”
“Breakfast is ready. Please eat.”
“Y-yes…”
Her first camp-out had worried me, but it seemed she’d managed without any major issues. Adorably yawning, she sat down to eat, and I moved to wake Veronica, who was still sleeping soundly.
“Wake up.”
“Mmm… morning already?”
“Yes. And aren’t you supposed to do morning prayers?”
“Pfft. When you’re a cardinal, skipping morning prayers is no big deal.”
“Wow. What a delinquent cleric…”
Stretching lightly, she joined the others around the campfire for breakfast. After eating and washing up, we set off again. By afternoon, we finally reached the vicinity of the Frost Howl Dungeon.
“Glad we didn’t run into any fights along the way. All right, Sage, we’ll set up camp over here.”
“Thanks. I’ll leave it to you.”
The lizardman and lion beastfolk began working together to establish a defensive perimeter.
Once the adventurers had weapons in hand and were standing guard near the dungeon entrance, Lucille gripped her staff tightly.
“Master, do you think we’ll be okay…?”
It was Lucille’s first time entering a dungeon, and she seemed visibly nervous. Glancing at her stiff posture, Veronica calmly inspected her mace and spoke matter-of-factly.
“If you’re scared, you can back out.”
“…I’m not scared. Master is here.”
“…Hmph.”
“Look, I’m not asking you two to be best friends, but don’t cause any trouble, all right?”
“Do I look like someone who causes trouble after all we’ve been through together?” Veronica replied, smirking.
“I’m not going to fight. Master, don’t you trust your one and only disciple?”
The two women stared at me expectantly. Faced with their gazes, I alternated between meeting their eyes before sighing.
“I trust you both.”
Of course, that didn’t mean I wouldn’t take precautions.
“Hmph.”
“…You’re always…”
“What? What is it?”
Turning away from their slightly flushed faces, I focused on recalling the strategy for Frost Howl Dungeon.
In the Frost Howl Dungeon, entering triggered a debuff that caused extreme cold. Without the Warmth spell, movement and attack speeds gradually decreased, along with health. The main monsters were Ice Wolves, Ice Elementals, and Crystal Whirlwinds.
Since most of them were weak to fire, Lucille would need to handle combat properly. And for a mage-centric offensive strategy, a solid frontline was crucial.
“Here we go,” I said, transforming Moonlight into a greatsword. As the weapon emitted a dazzling light, Veronica stared in surprise, and Lucille’s eyes sparkled.
“It looks amazing…”
Moonlight was definitely at its coolest in greatsword form.
“Master is… really… Oh, never mind. I’m just talking to myself. I’m ready. Let’s go.”
“All right. Veronica, you’ll handle healing.”
“Leave it to me.”
Carrying the greatsword meant I’d be acting as the party’s tank. Given Veronica’s experience, she clearly understood her role in this basic setup of hero, priest, and mage.
“Let’s move.”
As soon as I stepped into the Frost Howl Dungeon, an icy chill surged toward us.
“Warmth.”
The cold dissipated around me, and with that, we were ready to proceed. Right on cue, monsters began appearing around us.
Grrrr…
Wheeeeing!
Encountering enemies right after entering… What a hassle.
Still, I was the tank, so I’d better act like one.
Boom!
Swinging Moonlight forcefully, I unleashed a hero’s skill, Sword Wind. The crescent-shaped slash drew the monsters’ attention to me, allowing me to immediately follow up with the jester’s powerful taunt skill.
“Hey! What do you call a fallen king? King Kong! Hahaha! Oh, my stomach! Here’s a bonus joke! What animal do cats hate the most? Meerkats! Ahhh~! Wait, one more—”
Grrrrrrr! Raaaaargh!
The taunt skill, Cold Humor, was highly effective.
Even Lucille and Veronica looked a bit exasperated.