Avalon's Dungeon

Although this area has the appearance of an open-air area, there seems to be no day or night in the dungeon, and the sense of time is all about the physical sensation.

As usual, Alexis and the others spent the night in the dungeon.

「—Well then. Is it true that we don't need a tent?」

Alexis asked, to which Fransisca nodded and motioned to Dorothea.

Dorothea took out of the bag a palm-sized rectangular box-like object. It had a brass color and was lined with many fine stripes.

「This is all we need. Since we are going to use it to conquer Avalon, I am sure the Senate will allow us to use it.」

The way Fransisca said it as if she was making an excuse was typical of her, who cannot break the rules.

「This artifact is called "Mage's Box Garden", and it contains boundary magic. So, if we could just... deploy it like this...」

Fransisca started to touch the box.

It seems that the stripes can be slid out, like a puzzle, by shifting them one by one...

「Hmm... There we go.... Ah...」

Click! Two parts which had been slid back became box-shaped again.

「Well, let's start over!」

Fransisca regained her composure and started to touch it again.

After a few minutes, Alexis clearly understood why she had not brought this item out for a short break.

「Hey, you're not saying... you can't deploy it, are you?」

When Alexis asked her, Fransisca was startled.

「I-I-I-I-I-I'm fine!」

「Yes, yes. All right, give it to me.」

Alexis took the box from Fransisca in frustration. Then he started to touch the box.

「Hmm... I thought it was because Fransisca was stupid, but this is surprisingly difficult...」

Alexis mutters with a mysterious look on his face while playing with the box.

「Stupid...? You're terrible, Alexis-sama...」

Fransisca was in tears, but unfortunately there was no one there to speak up for Fransisca.

After a few moments of touching, "I can't do it either. I'll pass".

He said and handed it to Dorothea who was standing next to him.

「Huh, me?! No way, it's impossible! Although I'm good at taking things apart and putting them back together... Ah, that's right. Can I take this apart? Then I can figure out the structure, so I can reassemble it, and then unfold it...」

Dorothea took out a tool for disarming the trap, and Fransisca looked at her in a panic.

「No, no! Stop!」

After Fransisca received the box from Dorothea, she handed it to the next person saying, "Then I leave it to you!". It was Valencia who was the one who received.

「If Your Highness commands it! I'll do my best!」

Valencia's spirit is high. —But.

「—Hey」

After waiting for a few minutes, Alexis calls out to Valencia, who remains silent.

「...You've been touching the perimeter of the box for a while now, and you haven't moved a single part of it, have you? Why is that?」

Valencia's eyes filled with tears.

「I'm totally useless! I don't even know where I can move. Really, it's not cool to say!」

The box was thrown at Alexis and he hurried to catch it, then said, "Hey, don't cry! Don't cry!" to calm her down.

「Oh, um...」

Finally, a muffled voice came out. It was Maria.

「I-If it seems too much to ask... C-Can I try? Ah... But that's meddlesome, isn't it? I'm sorry...」

Maria turns red with shame for having said that.

「—No, maybe you should do it...!」

Alexis handed the box to Maria with a biting look on his face.

「At least you're smarter than the three idiots who just did it. Go ahead, try it.」

「Three idiots?!」

「You're terrible, Alexis-sama...」

「Really... You're leaving yourself out! If we include the prince there'd be four people! You idiot prince!」

Valencia, Fransisca, and Dorothea took turns protesting to Alexis.

「Shut up, you're making it hard for Maria to concentrate! Why did you make it so difficult for us? And if Maria doesn't make it, I'm going to have to ask Sara to do it instead...!」

Hearing Alexis' words, Sara smiled, "Wait, Alex-kun?" she said.

「What do you mean you have to ask me to do? I don't know what you're thinking, Alex-kun, but if you ask me to do something for you, I'll do it. —But only if you let me do all the research I want.」

「See... that's it! I don't want to ask her to do it because of the alternative!」

Alexis points out, and Sara has a frustrated look on her face, "Yeah," she says.

「I'm going to take care of you a lot...」

「You know what? Your affection doesn't make me happy at all, you know?」

While he was talking like this, Maria called out, "Um..."

「I've made it this far... Except, uh, I didn't understand the last part... S-So, sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't help you...」

Maria's hand held a box that was almost completely disfigured as she spoke.

At this point, everyone has a good idea of what lies inside. The box seems to be a deformed miniature of a mansion with a garden when unfolded.

「Hmm, let me borrow it. I'll take a look at it later.」

The mage's box garden ended up in Sara's hands.

「Sigh… I owe you one...」

Alexis sighs. But Sara giggles.

「Well, I wouldn't go that far... Even I have a bed to sleep in today.... Really, I guess I don't have much of a choice.」

「See...? See it?!」

Sara seems to have finished the deployment as Alexis points.

「Yes, it's done.」

Sara places the miniature on the floor, and a ray of light seems to rise into the sky around it.

「Wow, it's amazing Sara」

Fransisca clapped her hands in a good mood.

「If you touch this streak, you will probably be teleported into the box garden.:

Fransisca's explanation made Alexis uneasy.

「Hey, what do you mean by probably?」

「No, I mean. As far as I know, no one has ever used this artifact before... but I heard that four generations ago it was used...」

「......Hey.」

Alexis looks at Fransisca.

Fransisca was flustered.

「I-It's okay! Sagrado's appraisers are first class! The operation is guaranteed!:

「Well, that's for sure... Anyway, let's trust the history and traditions of your country」

Alexis nodded reluctantly and then said to the group, "Okay, we'll use this artifact as a camp for today."

「Wow, that's very extravagant!」

「Yes, it is. This is something that doesn't happen often!」

Surprisingly, Sara and Valencia were delighted with the joy in their eyes.

Seeing their reactions, Alexis finally felt that it was safe to say that everything was fine.

「Let's go in then.」

Alexis decides to touch the streak of light.