Chapter 16 : Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The lord’s office of the Count’s House of Lake.

The dust-covered furniture and faded tapestries seemed to show the reality of a house that had fallen into decline.

Count Lionick’s daily routine began with checking and approving the various reports organized and submitted by the administrators of the territory.

Among the numerous reports, the ones he examined most carefully were the reports on Dungeons newly discovered or destroyed within the territory.

That was because this was the most important and troublesome matter directly connected to the safety of the territory.

If a high-grade Dungeon of D-grade or above appeared within the territory, there was a high possibility that it could not be conquered with the territory’s own military strength alone.

In such cases, he had to immediately report the matter to the kingdom and request support.

This was a heavy duty placed upon the lord, as well as an inescapable responsibility.

In practice, once a request for support was received, the kingdom would dispatch an Elite Knight Order directly under the king to conquer dangerous Dungeons of D-grade or above. A portion of the profits obtained in the process would then be bestowed upon the relevant territory.

Of course, the problem was that this “portion” was as tiny as a rat’s tail.

“So, when did the kingdom say they would send reinforcements?”

Count Lionick asked his strategist, Joel Puraid, who stood beside him, in a weary voice.

Dark circles hung heavily beneath his eyes.

Joel lightly pushed up the glasses he was wearing and answered in as calm a voice as possible.

“Yes, My Lord. According to the message we received, the Kingdom Knight Order will arrive within fifteen days at the latest.”

Fifteen days.

A D-grade Dungeon had recently appeared within the territory like a sudden calamity.

With the current military strength of the Count’s House of Lake, they could not conquer a D-grade Dungeon on their own.

Therefore, Count Lionick had immediately reported the appearance of the D-grade Dungeon to the royal palace according to established procedure.

In response, he had just received a promise that the Kingdom Knight Order would be dispatched in support.

Perhaps it should be called a blessing amid misfortune.

“Haa… But why in the world do Dungeons appear so frequently in this cramped territory?”

Count Lionick let out a resigned sigh, as though frustrated.

Deep wrinkles were carved between his brows like furrows.

“Perhaps it is because our territory is too close to the Forest of Monsters.”

Strategist Joel cautiously offered his opinion.

“…Hmm, that may be so.”

Count Lionick also nodded as though he agreed.

In truth, in the northern region where the Count’s House of Lake was located, there had long been a cursed forest known as the “Forest of Monsters.”

It was a forbidden land where malignant Demonic Energy always hung thickly like dense fog, a place no living creature dared to approach.

And strangely enough, reports had continuously come in that Dungeons occurred far more frequently in the areas near the Forest of Monsters than in other regions.

There was clearly some connection.

Perhaps countless Dungeons of various grades had already appeared inside the Forest of Monsters as well.

However, that place was a forbidden realm where humans must never set foot.

There was no way to confirm it, nor should it ever be confirmed.

The one fortunate thing was that, for some reason, the vicious and horrifying Monsters dwelling inside the forest almost never came out.

The helpless reality of the northern territories was that they had to be grateful for even that much.

“My Lord, please do not be too disheartened and take heart.”

Strategist Joel offered words of comfort.

“Is Young Lord Simon not growing splendidly? When I saw him not long ago, he had already reached the realm of a fully matured Mid-Level Sword Expert Knight. At this rate, he will surely enter the ranks of High-Level Knights within a few years.”

His voice held sincere respect and expectation.

“A High-Level Knight. Yes, if Simon can only become a High-Level Knight.”

Then they would be able to proudly escape the interference of the surrounding lords, who currently kept them in check and looked down on their house at every turn.

They might even be able to recover the house’s lost glory and achieve revival.

Count Lionick, too, was ultimately an ordinary father who was weak to praise of his child.

Especially when it came to Simon, the only hope and pride of the house.

At the strategist’s praise, a pleased smile as a father had appeared on his stiff face before he knew it.

For a moment, it felt as though the worries and concerns from earlier had melted away like snow.

“Ha ha. Then, since my mood has improved, let us check the next matter.”

Count Lionick cleared his throat and spoke in a deliberately brighter voice.

“Yes, My Lord.”

Joel answered respectfully.

Just as the strategist and the count were about to check the next report—

Knock, knock, knock—.

The sound of someone urgently knocking on the door of the count’s office suddenly rang out.

Normally, no one would dare disturb him at this hour.

An ominous feeling brushed past him.

“…Who is it?”

Count Lionick asked with a puzzled expression, furrowing his brow.

“My Lord. A messenger has come, saying he has an extremely urgent report to deliver.”

An urgent and desperate voice came from outside the door.

“An urgent report? Very well. Come in at once.”

A report urgent enough to come all the way to the count’s office this early in the morning.

Surely something unusual, something very serious, must have happened.

Count Lionick’s expression grew grave once more.

The smile from moments ago was nowhere to be found.

Soon after, the door opened, and a messenger drenched in sweat, nearly on the verge of collapse from exhaustion, rushed inside. He knelt on one knee before Count Lionick and delivered his report with proper etiquette.

“I greet you, My Lord.”

“Yes. From the looks of it, this must be an urgent matter, so skip the formalities. Stand and state your business at once.”

Count Lionick urged him anxiously.

“Yes, My Lord. An emergency message just arrived from the watchmen monitoring the entrance of the D-grade Dungeon!”

The messenger gasped for breath as he reported, almost shouting.

“A message from the D-grade Dungeon? Are there signs of a Dungeon Break?”

Count Lionick’s face turned deathly pale.

Without realizing it, he dropped the bundle of documents he had been holding.

The papers scattered messily across the floor.

A D-grade Dungeon Break.

It was the worst possible scenario, one that made his vision go dark.

There were still more than fifteen days left before the kingdom’s reinforcements arrived.

If a Break occurred right now, the entire territory could be destroyed.

No, it would be destroyed.

They had to hastily establish an evacuation plan.

No, before that….

“Joel! Summon all the administrators at once…….”

Just as Count Lionick was about to urgently issue an order to his strategist,

“N-No, My Lord. That is not it. Eldest Young Lord Cain is currently causing a commotion in front of the D-grade Dungeon.”

The messenger hastily cut him off and reported, almost wailing.

“…Hm?”

In that instant, Count Lionick froze in place.

He stared blankly at the messenger with an utterly dumbfounded expression, wondering whether he had misheard what had just been said.

Cain?

Why was that good-for-nothing there…?

It was even more absurd than a Dungeon Break.

* * *

Still, because I was one of the most notorious good-for-nothings in the territory, there was one good thing about it.

No matter how outrageously I behaved, the people around me simply clicked their tongues and let it pass, thinking, “Good grief, there he goes again. He was always like that.”

It was a kind of indulgence, perhaps.

Imagine if someone like Simon, who was usually known for his proper conduct and good manners, acted as recklessly as I was acting now.

People would first worry whether he was ill or had gone insane.

Was this the importance of managing one’s usual image?

Who would have thought that even the image of a good-for-nothing could be useful?

“Eldest Young Lord, please, you must not do this here. Do you not value your life?”

“This place is truly dangerous. One wrong move and you could lose your life. Please return.”

The soldiers guarding the Dungeon entrance all looked at me with pitiful eyes and desperately tried to stop me.

Well, it was not as though I could not understand how they felt.

What I was doing right now looked exactly like a reckless good-for-nothing throwing a tantrum because he wanted to leap into the fire without even knowing it was dangerous.

After all, I was making a fuss with the soldiers, insisting that I wanted to see the D-grade Dungeon.

“Ah, be quiet! I have never seen a D-grade Dungeon even once in my life. I am saying I just want to have a look, so who are you lot to keep blocking me? Move.”

“No, we are saying this because it is dangerous. If this reaches My Lord’s ears, all of us are dead. You, Eldest Young Lord, will certainly receive a thunderous scolding as well. Please spare us.”

One soldier pleaded, looking almost ready to cry.

Genuine fear was written across his face.

“Hmph! Do you think I would so much as blink at the old man’s scolding? Move aside while I am still asking nicely. Do not block my path.”

I shouted even more arrogantly.

“We are sorry, but we absolutely cannot move! It is My Lord’s order.”

However, the soldiers were firm.

As though they would never let me enter the Dungeon, they moved in perfect order and surrounded me without leaving the slightest gap.

It was an ironclad defensive posture.

‘Good. I have drawn enough attention.’

It was right then.

At the brief instant when the soldiers’ gazes were focused on me, I clearly witnessed Seirei and Sharon swiftly slip past their eyes and dart into the Dungeon entrance like arrows.

Good. Everything was going according to plan.

[You have entered a D-grade Dungeon (Annihilation).]

A system message rang in my ear.

Since the entry message had appeared, half the plan was a success.

Now, all that remained was for me to stall here as much as possible until those two conquered the Dungeon and came out.

A soldier had just hurriedly run toward the village to report this absurd situation.

But honestly, I was not particularly worried.

No matter how fast he moved, even if he relayed the situation to the mansion through the Transmission Orb in the nearest village, received instructions from Father on how to deal with(?) me, and returned, it would still take at least ten minutes.

That much time was enough.

‘Now, girls! Please come out quickly. My heart is in my throat right now.’

I cried out anxiously inwardly.

If those two came out later than expected, Father, with his fiery temper, would surely order the soldiers to subdue me at once and drag me back.

I did not want to suffer the humiliation of being dragged away by soldiers.

In order to avoid such a dreadful future, the two Summoned Creatures had to conquer the Dungeon and come out as quickly as possible.

And I had to somehow buy the time they needed to conquer it.

Yes, there was no choice.

Should I make an even greater nuisance of myself?

Since I had already been branded as a good-for-nothing, I might as well show them properly.

“Ahem! How dare you lot. Do you know who I am? I am Cain Lake, the Eldest Young Lord of this Lake territory. And yet the likes of you dare stand in my way? You must all be desperate to have your heads lopped off.”

I shouted as haughtily and arrogantly as possible, putting force into my voice.

“Even if you are My Lord’s son, we cannot allow it. No, even if My Lord himself came here, we could not let him enter. Do you truly not understand how dangerous a D-grade Dungeon is? Please come to your senses.”

One soldier shouted in frustration, almost pleading.

“Eldest Young Lord, if you continue acting this recklessly, we will have no choice but to use force. Please restrain yourself. This is your final warning.”

Another soldier also warned me firmly.

As though their warnings did not matter to me at all, I continued pretending to push my way toward the Dungeon, throwing my body forward with all my strength.

Naturally, the two soldiers desperately tried to grab me and pull me back.

And so, a childish yet desperate physical struggle continued for quite some time.

Then, just as we were in the middle of that prolonged scuffle—

[You have successfully conquered a D-grade Dungeon (Annihilation).]

At last, the system message I had been waiting and waiting for appeared.