Welcome to the Impregnable Demon King Castle

20 – The Frost Hero notices something. But what…?

Generally speaking, Black Sorcerer’s are not well received in the Adventurer business.

You would think that there would be people who find this treatment unfair and take action in the name of justice, but unfortunately in most cases, they don’t think it’s unfair.

In today’s adventurer parties, Black Sorcerers just aren’t suitable.

Therein, Bella concluded that Lem was not incompetent.

「Perhaps, this may be because I am not as hot-headed as the others, if you truly favored Lem just because he is your best friend, would you really have decided to relent in the end…? You would have naturally kicked Alba out of the party instead. But you are an impartial leader, thus you did not choose your team members based on your likes or dislikes. If you acknowledged someone like Lem, then perhaps he is not as incompetent as society says he is.」

「But…」continues Bella.

「If he was a Black Sorcerer worthy of being in a fourth-ranked party, I do not understand his reason for hiding his abilities. Surely he didn’t sell his soul to the devil in order to master Black Sorcery and ancient dark arts.」

Realizing that she is just spouting nonsense now, Bella let out a small laugh.

My face was contorted, not out of amazement, but at the fact that she was half right, but Bella didn’t notice it.

He didn’t sell his soul to the devil. He became his disciple instead and trained under him.

「It’s just a joke. If that were true, he would have been recognized as a threat to the country long before he became an Adventurer. Y’know, like the famous previous generation? He certainly would have aroused suspicion and hidden himself away. Assuming he uses Black Sorcery, he definitely wouldn’t pick a job that has a 100% risk of being discovered like being an Adventurer. …If possible, even I wouldn’t have picked an occupation that was completely dependant on public favor.」

It would seem that Bella chose to be an adventurer not out of longing, but out of monetary necessity.

Like me, she probably went to a Spirit Shrine, said something weird that piqued the interest of one of the spirits, and became the Frost Hero.

「Unless it really is Black Sorcery, there’s no reason to keep it a secret. At least, that’s what I, a newcomer who doesn’t know anything, think.」

It is Black Sorcery so he does have to keep it a secret, but I can’t tell her that.

For a moment, Bella looked at me in search of a response but I remained silent and she soon relented.

「At any rate, do you think they will broadcast this?」

Live broadcasts are rare. Basically TV companies will buy clips and broadcast a compilation that they think the audience will like. They will most likely cut out dialogue that doesn’t pertain to the Dungeon Clear.

There are those who would be interested in a conversation about the exiled Black Sorcerer, but rather than a detractor, she is thinking about whether or not he had the ability.

It isn’t an interesting conversation for television.

「If they don’t cut all of it…I want to be recognized as being a member of Fenix’s party as fast as possible.」

The replacement of one of the members of the Fenix party became a worldwide topic.

Recruitment was halted immediately after finding Bella, who had formed a contract with a Spirit and became a special Hero, but there were many who did not agree with the decision. Every day, self-aggrandizing Adventurers called out to her.

「I said that we five will Clear the Demon King Castle, right?」

「Even so, I must prove my worth. This is like a merit system.」

The conversation between the two of them stops.

Because the other three have somewhat recovered.

「Aah…damn it. I feel like I have a hangover.」

「…That was deplorable of me. Fenix, Bella, I deeply apologize.」

「…This is a nightmare. Well, let’s edit the part where we embarrass ourselves to be nice and short and highlight the part where Bella freezes everyone to the front of the video. Honestly, I don’t want to be seen but Dream Demons are so rare, it will get attention.」

「…but Lark, earlier you were wondering if this could be used on TV.」

「Rare demons, a party fighting against heavy odds, but then the new member with heavy expectations saves the day. Isn’t that great? The television will back up our embarrassing moments.」

The three of them used Avatar Repair Medicine.

An item that temporarily replenishes lost Magical Energy, a one time use consumable item. With this, the replenished Magical Energy will go away after a fixed amount of time, regardless of damage. So this isn’t recovery medicine.

In one Dungeon Clear, each person is allowed to use it one time. However, if you were to clear more than two strata in succession, each member is then allowed to use it once per stratum.

Apart from that, if you manage to reach the Safe Room, you can purchase up to one per person.

However, due to how expensive Repair Medicine is and its unpopularity with the audience, Adventurers aren’t fond of them.

Considering the current situation, they are a necessity.

「The Impregnable Demon Castle, huh? This place was set up to be the once demon headquarters, and with that comes all the worst kind of monsters, just rarin’ to go.」

「Certainly, there have been rare monsters since the first stratum. As expected, they don’t have every species of monster. Rather, they have most likely prepared the rare ones.」

「There are five of us in the party, since we don’t have a White Mage everyone except the Heroes get severely drained, Dream Demons become a real threat. Normally you’d think that this wouldn’t work…but when it comes to something like the Demon King Castle, I guess it does. That is something that we, as the first Capturing party, have to find a solution to.」

People who go after the first party get to polish their plans in order to clear the dungeon efficiently, but Fenix and party are the first to attempt this and thus, do this without practice. If they lose here, it’s possible to challenge it again by restarting from the first stratum but they have no intention of losing.

「The problem is that this whole stratum is filled to the brim with Dream Demons, the three of us are useless here.」

「I…I’ll fire my arrows. If I could just attack from outside the effective range of Charm.」

「If that were the case, then I would’ve used my magic sword. We can’t go forward in this messed-up room. It’s like this place was designed to break up parties that have overwhelming strength.」

Hearing the words of his three allies, Fenix makes a decision.

「Bella and I will go ahead.」

「Ah, then let me be the vanguard. Fenix, please give me your instructions.」

Gaining some confidence after handling the Demon King Castle’s attacks with her skillful use of magic, Bella’s voice has a cold tone.

「I leave it to you, then.」

「Yes.」

She advances while avoiding the icicles.

Most of the Dream Demons that were encased in ice were vanquished due to the damage, and the same will happen to those that are still around.

Blood does not flow in Avatars. It flows with Magical Energy instead. There is no pain, but you are able to feel shocks and impacts. It’s a strange sensation but you get used to it quickly.

Avatars don’t need to breathe but if the necessary functions to live aren’t simulated, problems will manifest once you return your consciousness to your body, so it inhales and exhales as you would normally.

After finding the door leading to the next room that was hidden by a curtain, Bella became speechless.

「What’s wrong?」

I asked, but I didn’t get an answer.

But soon I came to understand what Bella wanted to say.

「That’s no good~. Ignoring all your opponents who haven’t been vanquished yet just because they are frozen in ice.」

Inside one of the icicles, a pink-haired girl breaks out. She takes this moment of opportunity to strike and she puts her hand through Bella’s chest.

Particles of Magical Energy glimmer and sparkle as they dance through the air. Bella’s body begins to crumble after taking lethal damage.

「Ah…」

Bella looked at me. She tried to say「I’m sorry.」but midway through, she completely disappeared.

She’s gone.

She isn’t dead, but she can’t be revived for this Dungeon Clear.

With as much power as she could muster in her final moments, she pulled the curtain with all her might, unfastening it.

The curtain falls and reveals the door.

That door bore the dungeon’s coat of arms, which are only on doors that lead to the Safe Room between strata.

In other words, this is a stratum that has a Floor Boss fight as soon as you enter it.

The Floor Boss was hiding amongst the Dream Demons.

That would most likely be that pink-haired girl.

Although Bella was unprepared, inexperienced, and new, to defeat a Hero with one strike means she possesses great skill.

The girl takes a deep breath. What was left of Bella’s Magical Energy remains were sucked into her mouth and absorbed.

…can Drain be used on things other than humans? Maybe that’s how she broke out of her icicle.

One by one, the Dream Demons that were yet to disappear started to break out of their icicles.

There were seven of them, much less than when we started, but it will be troublesome if they cast Charm on my allies again.

「I was a little surprised, but as expected, the strength of the spell had to be lowered in order to be cast so quickly.」

「To fight a Floor Boss all of a sudden is a little-」

「Didn’t you defeat a Floor Boss in one strike? If that little ice girl hadn’t done anything, you would have used your fire. If you had, your conceited way of doing things would have ended in failure.」

「If I had, you and your friends would have been reduced to ashes.」

「…what an un-cute boy.」

「Heroes have to be cool.」

「You, I don’t like you.」

「Well I like you. For the sake of victory, you formulated a plan and took out the most formidable enemy with the least amount of effort. You even reduced the combat power of my other allies. Truly, an excellent Monster.」

「Unexpectedly, you guys do things in a ridiculously straight forward manner.」

「Everybody admires a Hero like that.」

I pull out my Sacred Sword, a regular sword wherein dwells a Spirit, from its scabbard.

Since this is a Floor Boss fight, I don’t have a reason to worry about my allies anymore.

「Aah, dammit!」

Alba swings a plain blade without extending his magic sword. The Dream Demons were approaching them. Lark repelled them with his shield and Lily attacked with her hatchet instead of her bow.

The number of Dream Demons was drastically reduced so they were able to more or less resist the effects of Charm.

They know what they have to do.

「We will not be defeated in battle.」

Seeing the Magical Energy emanating from my blade, her face tensed up.

Her fighting spirit did not disappear.

…Splendid.

「But you are down one party member. Don’t think for a second that you’re going to reach the Demon King.」

「I am The Flame Hero Fenix, I am the one who will defeat you and press on.」

「…I am The Demon of Love Sitri and you…I really, really hate you.」

With my Sacred Sword engulfed in a large flame in hand, I rush towards Sitri.

That day, we cleared the fifth stratum.

We decided to attempt to clear the sixth stratum as soon as possible.