## Chapter 395 – Unintentional Intent (15)
“Whoosh!! Swish!! Whoosh whoosh!!”
“Waaaaah!!”
“Clap clap clap clap!!”
One might mistake it for a triumphal return parade, such was the flamboyant fanfare greeting the procession.
The members of the procession were a diverse bunch.
First, there were the workers, plainly carrying luggage or loading it onto carts, handling the mundane tasks for the diplomatic mission.
Then came the mages in Groden-style robes, and the swordsmen striding confidently in their heavy armor.
Finally, there were the engineers, each accompanied by various types of pods, their conquest coats billowing as they marched.
And before their eyes, a circular, dark gate, slightly larger than those of other dungeons, swirled like a vortex, sucking in the surrounding light.
Sandwiched among them, Yui, glancing wearily at the cheering citizens around her, was being dragged along by Karla, who had her arm linked through Yui’s.
Perhaps it was because she already had dungeon experience, and had experienced it intensely in such dire circumstances.
Yui, already half resigned, muttered to herself in a hollow voice, directed at the empty air.
“A dungeon… another dungeon…
Why… how did I end up in a place like this again…”
“Again?”
“I misspoke…
Aren’t you worried, Karla?
It’s a dungeon, you know…?”
At Karla’s question, seemingly prompted by Yui’s muttering amidst her cheerful laughter, Yui shook her head vigorously.
Karla, in response to Yui’s question, simply wore an innocent expression, as if wondering what all the fuss was about.
“Huh? We’re just staying at the outpost, right?
They said it’s definitely safe there, didn’t they?”
Was this naivety, or what?
Karla, stroking the top of the ‘Spider Army Mk-2’ crawling beside her, gave Yui a bright, carefree smile and a thumbs up.
Yui, forcing a smile and nodding, looked around again, lost in thought.
‘…I can’t leave Karla alone…’
After all, she had directly experienced the best-case scenario when things went wrong in a dungeon.
The dungeon’s barrier suddenly shifted, causing a geological upheaval, and countless monsters poured in, attacking those who had been relying on the barrier.
Fortunately, she had Vivian, Ranie, and the Henias, powerful allies who protected her, so she only had to endure the hardship of caring for the numerous patients who were brought in.
But even considering that, could it really be called fortunate?
‘Is it really… going to be alright…?’
For Yui, there might have been a sense of accomplishment in saving people and overcoming the situation, but she desperately wanted to refuse to experience it again.
So when Karla suddenly announced that she was going to the dungeon, her eyes sparkling, Yui couldn’t help but feel breathless.
“Halt!! Commencing entry!! Mages!!”
“Yui!! They’re going in!!
The gate is opening!!”
“Ugh… Okay…”
In the end, Yui was helplessly dragged by Karla and enveloped in the light of the magic circle.
As her body gradually disappeared, Yui’s gaze, still lingering, happened to fall on a certain spot, and something familiar caught her eye.
It was a familiar-looking back, bathed in golden light.
“Hold my hand.”
“Ah… I might feel a little dizzy…”
‘So she was there.’
.
.
.
“You’re going too?”
“You too… what do you mean…?”
“Ranie has decided to join the investigation team there.
As a combat operative. She’s quite resourceful…”
The day before they left for the dungeon.
Yui, having arrived at the lair to show her face before being unable to for a while, ran into Vivian, who was inspecting the lair with her tentacles.
At Vivian’s unexpected words, Yui’s eyes widened and she couldn’t help but ask her.
“But Ranie is a Floraz…
And doesn’t she go to that dungeon too?”
“I don’t know much about this kind of thing, since it’s the first time.
But she found out about the position and even asked for it herself?
It’s an opportunity, in a way…
I don’t want to stop her if she wants to do it.”
“Ah… I see… huh…?”
Just as she was about to nod at Vivian’s answer.
A memory suddenly flashed through her mind, and Yui flinched slightly, stopping in her tracks.
Ranie’s face, laughing happily as she talked with him while having dinner together at a fancy restaurant.
‘Antonio…’
The fact that Ranie, who had nothing to do with the Barmhausen dungeon exploration team, could suddenly join the investigation team as a combat operative.
It was clear that she had secured the position through the backing of a key figure.
Since they would be taking plenty of supplies anyway, going on an expedition, adding one or two more people wouldn’t be a problem at all.
And if it was a representative’s aide, adding a position or two in the process of handling affairs would be a piece of cake.
Besides, at least as far as Yui could see, Ranie wasn’t some greenhorn who would be criticized for monster hunting.
Of course, as far as she knew, her status was still that of an academy student, which was an unchanging fact.
But she had something that other students didn’t.
That was the power and strong physique she received from Enic, and Nemea, the invincible shield and armor that had so far been impenetrable, except for poison.
Based on that, aside from the guardians who fought on the front lines, in a sense, Ranie could be considered one of the most experienced in monster hunting in dungeons.
“Is that… alright?”
“What is?”
“That… Ranie…
It’s nothing really…”
Yui, wondering whether she should tell Vivian, who seemed unaware of Ranie’s situation, couldn’t bring herself to open her mouth and vaguely mumbled instead, feeling uneasy.
“How boring. I trust they’ll do well on their own.
If you happen to meet them in the field later, I’d appreciate it if you could help each other when needed.”
“Of…!! Of course!!
It’s not like we’re strangers…”
“Alright. Then I should probably leave you two alone.
You came to see him anyway, right?
You can use my room.”
Vivian chuckled and put her hands behind her back.
As she slowly turned around and prepared to return to the Queen’s chamber, she subtly turned back and gave Yui a sultry look.
At Vivian’s suggestive gaze, Yui blushed and shrank back slightly.
“Ah… That’s… That’s not…”
“It’ll be a while before you can come back as you please.
Wouldn’t it be better to fill up to your heart’s content now?
Well, see you next week.”
Was this to be seen as consideration, in the sense of asking her to take good care of Ranie?
Even though she had tried to deny it in front of Vivian, she eventually glanced around cautiously after she left.
Swallowing hard, Yui entered the Queen’s chamber as if possessed, and the door closed behind her.
“Nnguuuuh…♡”
Before long, the precarious moans of a girl gasping for breath leaked thickly from the tight crack in the door.
.
.
.
Anyway, that was that, and Yui, having spent the day filling up on tentacle essence, was able to safely join the exploration team with Karla the next day.
“Wow…!! It’s a dungeon, Yui!!”
As if she had experienced it before, the scenery began to appear naturally as the swarm of light subsided and her vision became accustomed.
As if to show that it was definitely different from where they had been just a moment ago.
Looking at the slightly gloomy weather and the cloudy sky, Yui quickly grabbed the back of Karla’s neck, who was excitedly stepping forward.
“Yes. It’s a dungeon.
So you have to be careful…”
But just before Yui’s hand reached her, Karla had already bumped into someone by mistake as she rushed forward.
Unlike Karla, who made a cute hiccup sound as if startled, the person she bumped into glanced back for a moment, then ignored her and looked forward again.
“Eep…!? I’m… I’m sorry…!!”
“……”
“Karla! Calm down!!
We’re not here to play, are we?”
“Ugh… Sorry…”
Listening to Karla’s sullen apology, Yui, her cheeks puffed out, was about to apologize again, thinking that there might be problems later, and was approaching the silent person wearing a robe to talk to them.
“I’m… I’m sorry again.
My friend made a mistake…”
But when the other person didn’t react, Yui was puzzled and was about to step forward to show herself, when.
“……”
The other person silently brushed past her and moved forward, and as the entire exploration team began to move forward, Yui was briefly flustered but soon returned to the procession.
“Yui!! We’re this way!!”
“Ah… Okay. Let’s go quickly.
And don’t bump into anyone this time, okay?”
After briefly staring at the unknown person who was walking ahead, Yui’s steps, being dragged by Karla, soon led her to where she needed to be.
‘The smell of medicine…
I feel like I’ve smelled it somewhere before…
That robe is… a mage?
Why would a mage have medicine…?’
