Chapter 48: Rowene Dungeon(8)

Rowena Dungeon, 3rd Floor.

After a one-sided battle, the ten mages took a short break. Once their mana recovered, they would extract magic stones from the monster corpses and move on.

‘No major problems today, thankfully.’

Gish was effectively leading the young mages on this Rowena Dungeon expedition. Professor Clear Pel relayed instructions through him but didn’t participate directly in combat.

That didn’t mean he was just a bystander. He frequently explained the dungeon’s ecosystem to his students and answered their questions in detail, offering valuable advice that even Gish found helpful. The vanguard team had failed to clear the deeper levels, so this expedition would likely take longer than usual.

‘…I wish Lucy were here.’

Gish felt a pang of regret. He genuinely felt bad for his friend, who was missing out on this learning opportunity.

“Gish, come here for a moment.”
“Yes, Professor.”

Professor Pel, sitting apart from the group, beckoned Gish over. He handed Gish several pebble-sized objects.

“One for each of you. Distribute them later.”
“…What are these?”
“As you can see, they’re simple mana-infused amulets. These youngsters seem susceptible to spirits. These will protect them from possession.”
“I understand.”
“I don’t think there are any spirits powerful enough to possess a mage on this floor, but… better safe than sorry.”

Professor Pel was always prepared. Unlike other high-ranking mages who rarely left the Magic Tower, he often ventured into dungeons. He was responsible for the young mages who volunteered for these expeditions, so his cautious nature was understandable.

“By the way, Gish, what do you think of this dungeon?”
“…Aside from the wraiths, it seems pretty ordinary. Not many magic stones either.”
“True, if you’re only looking at efficiency. But I’ve noticed a recurring theme.”
“A theme?”

Professor Pel nodded, raised his staff, and created a small orb of light. It floated upwards, illuminating the high ceiling, revealing—

“A painting…?”
“Indeed. You’ve probably seen similar things.”

He was right. While fully preserved paintings like this were rare, Gish had seen similar artwork, half-erased murals and shattered frames, in other dungeons.

“How does it make you feel?”
“Frankly… uneasy.”

The painting on the ceiling depicted a giant, grinning demon entering a human body, driving its victim to stab their own kin. Below the demon were piles of corpses, or perhaps sacrifices. The demon was eventually sealed underground, but its grinning face remained. Surrounding it were strange, ancient characters, filled with warnings.

“Yes, uneasy. I’ve never seen such a blatant warning in a dungeon before.”
“…You think it’s dangerous?”
“You never know. It might have been a powerful being in ancient times, but perhaps it’s weakened now. Demons aren’t immortal; it might have died after being trapped for so long.”

Professor Pel said jokingly. But Gish sensed something more serious. The old professor rarely joked.

“If the warning is real, we should investigate. I wouldn’t be concerned if it wasn’t so close to East Polis.”

Professor Pel looked at Gish seriously.

“If anything happens, take the students and run. I’ll handle whatever’s inside.”
“Professor Pel…”
“That wasn’t a request. It was an order. Understood, Gish?”
“…Yes, sir.”

Professor Pel’s expression returned to its usual impassiveness.

“Now, go distribute these amulets.”

Gish obeyed. Sophia, the first to receive one, blushed and looked away, seemingly misunderstanding his intent. The other mages, seeing her reaction, looked disappointed.

‘He’s so dense.’
‘It’s kind of cool how oblivious he is, but… I pity Sophia.’
‘He smells so good…!’

The junior mages, oblivious to the serious conversation between Professor Pel and Gish, continued their cheerful chatter, still treating the expedition like a picnic. Gish felt his tension ease slightly, but—

“…Quiet.”

—one of his golems, which he had deployed as scouts, was destroyed. He lowered his voice and issued a command. No mage from the Eastern Magic Tower would disobey their leader.

“Something’s coming. Get ready.”, “…Strong enough to destroy Gish’s golem? That’s not good.”

Professor Pel also stood up, preparing for battle. Perhaps it was the mind-controlled knight. A knight wielding Aura was a formidable opponent, even for a mage like Professor Pel.

‘I thought he went deeper into the dungeon. Did he come back up?’

He had been warned about potential problems, but he hadn’t expected them so soon. And a being powerful enough to destroy Gish’s golem in an instant…

Perhaps he should follow the professor’s instructions and retreat with the other mages. Just as Gish steeled his resolve—

—“See? I told you not to charge in recklessly, Hans.”, “…But Avalli said there was something there.”, “Avalli just said there was something there. Charging in blindly is dangerous, Hans. You were lucky this time. By the way, this golem… looks familiar…” ,“Mage, can I have this fragment? Looks like expensive material. I could probably get some good money—”

Four figures emerged from the darkness, chattering noisily, seemingly unconcerned. And among them, a familiar face.

“Lucy?”

Gish’s tense shoulders relaxed as he recognized his old friend. He was about to approach when Professor Pel stopped him.

“Wait. It could be a trap.”
“A trap? Professor, it’s Lucy Ignis. We’ve been on expeditions together.”
“Yes, I don’t forget my students’ faces. But this dungeon is known for possessing spirits. We have to be cautious.”

Professor Pel whispered to Gish, then called out, still in a defensive stance,

“Hold it right there!”, “—Oops, it seems this belonged to someone. My bad. This young man here couldn’t control himself.”

Sedral, who had been claiming the golem fragment, quickly changed his tune.

“Lucy Ignis, is it?”

“Yes. But that voice—”
“It’s Clear Pel. If you recognize me, stop right there.”

Lucy halted her group.

“…What is it, Professor?”
“This dungeon is known for possessing spirits, so don’t take this personally, Lucy, but I need to make sure you’re—”
“Begone, impurities! Cleanse the taint and awaken my clear mind!”

Lucy immediately began chanting at Professor Pel’s words. Seeing some of his students looking at Lucy nervously, Professor Pel clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘…This group is hopeless.’

Clear Mind. The simplest way to prove one wasn’t possessed. He had explained it clearly before entering the dungeon, yet they couldn’t even remember the incantation.

Lucy, however, immediately understood. She might lack natural talent, but she was a diligent student.

“—Clear Mind.”

A clear light enveloped Lucy and her companions. Seeing no adverse effects, Professor Pel lowered his staff.

“It’s been a while, Lucy.”
“It has, Professor Pel. How have you been?”
“Why aren’t you on this expedition?”
“…Personal reasons. I’ve been away from the Tower.”

A few giggles came from Sophia and her group.

Professor Pel frowned slightly at their disrespect. He knew girls that age could be difficult, but to openly display such behavior in front of a superior…

“You destroyed Gish’s golem. I won’t hold it against you since we’re in a dungeon, but you should apologize.”
“Did you hear that, Hans?”

The brown-haired girl standing next to Lucy giggled and nudged the boy. Hans stepped forward with a serious expression and bowed his head.

“I apologize.”
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

Gish, who hadn’t been bothered in the first place, readily accepted the apology.

“You’re quite skilled, though. I didn’t think my golem would be defeated so easily. You used a sword?”
“Yes.”
“This kid is stronger than he looks, handsome.”

While Sedral and Gish chatted amicably, Professor Pel’s gaze shifted to the rest of the group. Lucy, who seemed much more mature than when he last saw her a few months ago. And the brown-haired girl beside her, grinning and looking him up and down.

A girl? That one?

‘…What is she?’

A sense of unease washed over him. There was something… different about the aura surrounding the girl. Something only Clear Pel, the most perceptive among them, could sense—

—the fear of the unknown.

“Avalli, say hello. This is Professor Clear Pel, who teaches Lithomancy and Dungeon Studies at the Magic Tower.”
“Oh, Teacher’s teacher?”

But the moment Lucy introduced Professor Pel, the strange feeling vanished.

“Avalli, he’s just ‘Professor’. The teacher-student relationship isn’t something formed so easily.”
“Really? Is he like a university professor, then?”
“…Magic Tower professor, not university. The university is in the capital. Anyway, say hello.”

At Lucy’s urging, Avalli stepped forward and bowed her head.

“Hello, Professor.”
“…It’s a pleasure to meet you, Avalli.”

Professor Pel replied, feeling slightly off-balance. He discreetly cast a chantless Detect spell on the girl, but aside from her unusually calm and controlled mana flow, there was nothing remarkable. Perhaps he had been mistaken.

‘…I should take better care of myself when I get back.’

His instincts were still sharp, but he felt his age, sighing inwardly.