The Tale of A Man Who Believed That His Reincarnation Had Granted Him A Japanese Sword And The Greatest Battle Sense, Only To Have The God Finally Inform Him "Huh, I Didn't Give You Any Combat Sense… That's Scary…" - Episode 40

“Now, we will begin our exploration of the stone chamber of Shoshi. This will be a very dangerous mission, but I will do my best to protect everyone, so please trust me!”

Two days after rolling around like cheese and meeting the Great Witch Circe, Alice, Utsuho, and I gathered in front of what looked like a sealed entrance to an abandoned mine. However, in reality, it was the entrance to a dungeon.

Alice looked quite nervous as she glanced at Utsuho and me. The hand gripping her twisted wooden staff trembled, and the many potions attached to the belt on her long skirt clinked together in rhythm with her shaking body.

In contrast to Alice, two other people standing in front of her had a completely different atmosphere.

“Utsuho, what kind of monsters appear in dungeons? Skeletons? Zombies?”

“The monsters inside a dungeon vary depending on how the dungeon was formed. In this case, since it is said to originate from the Great Witch Angelica, it will likely contain magical creatures… things animated by magic.”

“It’s been a while since I last cooked inside a dungeon. What should we make for dinner tonight?”

One person was absentmindedly wondering what they could cut with their sword for the first time in a dungeon. The other was a former assassin maid already planning a dungeon-themed menu for dinner.

Alice sighed in mild exasperation at the way Utsuho and I were acting. Haa… these people really have no sense of tension… she muttered. Under her lead, we formed a proper formation and stepped into the dungeon as a three-person party.

I took the lead, ready to cut anything that got in our way. Behind me, Alice used mapping magic to guide our route, and Utsuho stayed at the rear, covering Alice while keeping an eye on our surroundings.

Inside the dungeon, glowing moss grew in patches, making it dim rather than completely dark. Alice had explained that this was an unexplored dungeon, so I had expected the paths to be narrow enough that we would have to squeeze through. However, to my surprise, the corridors were wide enough for three adults to walk side by side, with plenty of headroom.

“Alice, there’s a fork in the path. Which way should we go?”

“Give me a moment… The relic’s magical energy is coming from this direction, so we should take the left path.”

Using Alice’s detection and mapping magic, we calculated the shortest route and proceeded accordingly.

“Oh, Utsuho, there’s something that looks like a stone door up ahead.”

“Then, Lord Enri, please remain on guard while I… Ah, this mechanism looks like it will take some time. Could you handle it instead?”

“Got it.”

Occasionally, we came across artificial stone mechanisms. Utsuho handled most of the traps, but if a device took too long, I simply ignored the gimmicks and smashed my way through. Each time I destroyed an artificial structure, Alice looked increasingly guilty.

After about two hours of exploration, we entered a large stone chamber. The walls and floor were made of smooth black stone, and abstract carvings, reminiscent of ancient Egyptian murals, were etched into the walls.

Utsuho had been collecting glowing moss along the way, and now she scattered it around the chamber to create makeshift lighting. Meanwhile, Alice adjusted her witch’s hat as she reviewed our progress.

“We’re making great time, both of you. This dungeon doesn’t seem to be as deep as I initially thought, so we might reach the final area sooner than expected.”

“Alice, I understand that using both relic detection and mapping magic at the same time places a heavy strain on your mind. Why don’t we take a short break here?”

“N-No… Our time here is limited, so this much is… whoa!”

Alice tried to keep moving forward, but her body couldn’t keep up with her determination. She wobbled and collapsed onto the floor.

Utsuho immediately rushed to her side, catching her before she could fall completely.

I saw them and sprinted toward them at full speed. Just as I reached them, I leaped over and slashed down with full force at the humanoid figure emerging from the darkness, ready to attack them.

The sound of metal clashing against metal echoed through the chamber. My blade struck true, and though the enemy managed to block my attack, it was pushed back about two meters.

“Lord Enri!”

“Don’t worry. Stay put.”

I kept my response short as I focused on our attacker.

It was a suit of armor, completely black and adorned with swirling engravings. Its legs bent awkwardly, as if its tendons had been severed. In its hands, covered by dark gauntlets, it held a massive, two-meter-long great sword.

The armor’s body twitched in a mechanical, unnatural way, as if it were being forced to fight against its will.

I gripped my sword with both hands and lowered the tip. I let go of all unnecessary tension, allowing my body to sway like the leaves of a willow tree. Half-closing my eyes, I shifted my center of gravity onto the base of my toes.

Step by step, I closed the distance.

When I was just over two meters away, the armor finally made its move, swinging its massive great sword down with all its might.

In that instant, I leaned forward, letting my body fall naturally.

I lowered my head, dropped my stance, but kept my arms extended forward. Before the sound of the sword cutting through the air could even reach my ears, my blade had already sliced through the enemy’s gauntlet—severing its hand completely.

A moment later, the sound of wind cutting through the air reached me, followed by the clatter of the gauntlet hitting the stone floor.

The armor staggered, preparing to lunge again. I countered with a swift, clean slash, cutting it in half from its toes to its shoulder in one smooth motion.

Clang, clang, clang!

The severed pieces of armor hit the ground, as if announcing the end of the battle. I spun my sword once in my hand before quietly sheathing it.

Upon closer inspection, there was no human inside the armor. It seemed to be one of those magical creatures animated purely by magic.

“Oh… Enri, that was amazing. It looked like a really strong magical creature, but you defeated it in an instant.”

“Lord Enri has secured the area for us. Shall we take a break here?”

Exhausted, Alice could only nod. Once Utsuho confirmed that there were no more enemies or traps, she started a fire, and we began our meal break.

“Utsuho, let’s use the broken armor’s torso as a base for our fire.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea. I’ll sprinkle some holy water on it… and now we have a magical creature fire pit.”

Utsuho and I quickly set up a campsite. Soon, we had a small fire going and some light meals prepared. Alice, now lying near the fire, looked at Utsuho’s cooking setup with disbelief.

I sipped on the dried meat soup Utsuho made and glanced at Alice, who rested in her sleeping bag. Every time I saw her, I remembered Circe’s warning: When you reach the deepest part, never take your eyes off the blonde woman.

There was no doubt that the “blonde woman” referred to Alice. And “the deepest part” likely meant the final area of the dungeon where the relic was located. Never take my eyes off her… Did that mean I should stay vigilant around her?

“Lord Enri, are you feeling alright?”

Utsuho returned after scouting the area and confirmed that we were safe to rest.

“Oh, by the way, Lord Enri, do you know the legend of the Great Witch Angelica?”

I shook my head. “Not really. I just know she ruled over the Redinbara region.”

Utsuho nodded and began recounting the legend of Angelica.

And as she spoke, the fire crackled, the air in the dungeon shifted, and the atmosphere between Alice and Utsuho began to grow tense.