Avalon's Dungeon

Alexis was frustrated. Because Fransisca, whom he thought was there, was not in the command center, not in the courtyard, and not even in her private room.

（Should I have called Valencia to accompany me?）

While feeling impatient, he hurried down the corridor. Just then Fransisca came from the end of the corridor.

「Fransisca! Hey, you—」

What the hell have you been doing?

He was about to open his mouth to say so.

But, Fransisca calls out, "Alexis-sama!" and comes running toward him.

She takes Alexis' hand and gives him a serious look.

「Please help Eden-san!」

"What did you say?" Alexis asked back.

After all, Eden had just been saved just a few minutes ago. But from her clutches and the word, "Please help her", it makes him wonder what the hell she's trying to tell. So, he twists his head.

「She's my Aniki guard. If something's wrong, you should tell him, not me, right?」

"T-That's why," says Fransisca, her gaze drifting from right to left in uncertainty.

「It's about Jerome-sama.」

「...Aniki?」

「Y-Yes. Eden-san seems kind of... sad. I don't know how to say it, but... it's just like that...」

Fransisca is at a loss for words.

If she seemed sad, Alexis thought it was her Lord's role to comfort her.

「What's the point of me showing that face? I'm the one who hurt Eden, remember?」

「...Is that really so?」

"What...?" Alexis asks back.

He wonders what Fransisca is trying to say.

Nevertheless, it seems that what Alexis had feared had not happened, as far as he can tell from her appearance.

With a relieved heart, Alexis asks, "By the way—".

「Where the hell have you been?」

「Of course, I was in Jerome-sama's room, following Alexis-sama's instruction, watching Jerome-sama so as not to miss him.」

「...What!?」

He had no intention of giving such an order. Rather, he ordered her to carry a sword to protect herself, and wanted her to leave as soon as the job was done.

Alexis now started to pursue Fransisca.

* * *

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「What... are you an idiot?」

That's what Alexis muttered after he asked Fransisca a series of questions as they moved into the command center and sat in the chairs surrounding the desk.

「Eh? B-But, Alexis-sama told me to carry a sword....」

Fransisca was puzzled, but Alexis answered, "That's what I said".

「And I said that to protect yourself, not to intimidate Aniki... Rather, I wanted you to come back as soon as you've done what you had to do.」

「I-Is that so?」

「Of course! What kind of idiot would stay in such a dangerous place!?」

「Dangerous place...?」

「You see, Fransisca. He's Aniki, for Christ's sake. I'm sure he's just as eager as I am to get his hands on a girl whenever the opportunity presents itself.」

Alexis leans forward and says this with a straight face.

Fransisca's confusion deepens.

「Huh... is that so?」

「Yes...」

Alexis had a headache.

"I wonder who raised him to be such an ignoramus.... Oh, it must be Fatima. Or the priests led by her," Alexis thought.

「Damn... Fatima! She'll be punished later. I'm gonna punish her for this...」

Alexis had decided to put all the responsibility for the education on Fatima.

Fransisca seemed to read Alexis' mood and waved her hands in the air in panic.

「No, no... Alexis-sama! Fatima is not at fault! Rather, I am the one who is at fault here, so please punish me instead...?」

Fransisca is so desperate to be punished.

「...Hey, you just want to be punished, don't you?」

Alexis' suggestion may have been right on the mark, and Fransisca was startled.

「Hweh!? Ahh, n-no! That's impossible!」

She seemed to be trying to cover it up in a hurry, but it was obvious from her reddish face.

「You are such a liar, you know that?」

Alexis let out a sigh as he sat back in her chair.

「But still... I see. Eden's going against Aniki...」

Alexis folded his arms, thinking back to what Fransisca had just told him.

（...is this working...?）

Alexis glanced at Fransisca across the table.

（Indeed, it would have been troublesome if Aniki had come in the middle of the “torture” and interrupted it. And somehow, my dong works, I guess.... Anyway, I was saved by this girl suggestion this time...）

Before he knew it, Alexis found himself staring at Fransisca's eyes until they were piercingly hard.

When Fransisca's eyes meet Alexis', she turns her head and turns her cheeks down in embarrassment.

「Oh, um... Alexis-sama...is there something wrong?」

「No, it's nothing.」

For a moment, Alexis thought of complimenting her, but decided not to.

After all, it was Fransisca who had taken Eden to the dungeon so easily.

「Well... now that I'm back. Tomorrow we will go back to Avalon! You'd better get ready.」

To cover up his story, Alexis had started out that way.

“Yes!,” Fransisca replied, straightening her back.

「Oh...—By the way. About Avalon...」

Suddenly, Fransisca's serious expression returns.

What Alexis heard from Fransisca was an important story about the fourth dungeon that they were currently attacking.

「I think I know... what that place is.」

Fransisca cut in so seriously that Alexis couldn't help but lean forward.

「What!? Excuse me? But you, you didn't say a word at the last strategy meeting...」

「...Well, that's because Alexis-sama made me endure sexually, so I couldn't do anything else...」

Fransisca turns red to the ears and stares down.

"Oh, that's right. That reminds him of something like that," Alexis thought to himselft

（...It seems that I was an idiot back then...）

However, now, Alexis makes a serious face.

「...Alexis-sama?」

Fransisca called to him timidly. Alexis responded nonchalantly, "No, go on".

「Y-Yes.」

Fransisca nodded and then began to speak, "...well".

「Your father has told me something. But, I can't divulge the details...」

「I understand. Just tell me where you can.」

Alexis sighed and nudged her on.

Fransisca nodded and began to speak.

「...I don't think there are any stairs in that area. No matter how hard we look... we won't find them.」

「...I had a feeling you were right. So, how do we proceed ahead?」

"Well—," Fransisca says. Alexis did not miss the tension in her face.

「There must be an area boss. If we defeat it, the illusion will disappear」

「...Illusion?」

「Uh... no」

Fransisca stopped talking.

She still sounded like she had something stuck in her teeth.

Alexis had no choice but to urge her on.

「Where is the area boss?」

This time Fransisca's expression became tense.

With this expression, she opened her mouth gravely and confided

「...The throne.」

Fransisca looked Alexis in the eyes and said.

「The throne of the castle of Sagrado that has been teleported. It must be there, perhaps...」

Her eyes were full of conviction.

She must know something to be able to say that.

「...I see, okay. Well, tomorrow we start the search for the throne. It's a good thing we know what we're looking for.」

「—Ah, about that, Alexis-sama...」

Fransisca has more to say.

"What is it?" Alexis prompted, leaning forward.

「Could you please give priority to the search for survivors?」

「...You」

Alexis choked, then let out a sigh.

「...Do you think they're out there? In that place」

「B-But Valencia was there...!」

「I see, you're right. But she just happened to be in a good place. She was a strong knight and she had a good hiding place near the treasure room.」

「B-But... there may be other surviving towns...」

「...do you think there might be?」

Alexis asked quietly, and Fransisca fell silent.

And then a heavy silence fell.

But, eventually, Fransisca speaks up.

「...Will things ever return to normal? Sagrado...」

Alexis did not answer the question. No, he could not answer.

「—Anyway, I think the priority should be the search for the area boss.」

「......」

「And if we defeat the area boss, some of the land will be restored. If there are any survivors, we can save them then. Isn't that right?」

「That's... that's right.」

Fransisca eventually nodded quietly.