Live Dungeon!

“Quite a tense atmosphere,” Leleia murmured, her green hair swaying in the wind, her gaze sharp and intense as a Fire Dragon’s as she watched the restless crowd.

Those who had returned to the Royal Capital with the frontline unit were met with a sense of unease among the populace.

The attack on House Kantjelucia’s estate by Orbis had stirred much commotion. While the estate itself had sustained minimal damage, Brooklyn’s execution chamber, constructed within, had collapsed, and the Master herself had been left gravely injured. Promptly healed by a dedicated White Mage, she was now recuperating, yet to emerge from the estate. The incident had become a significant concern for the Royal Capital’s citizens.

Among the highest ranking nobles, House Babenberg and House Kantjelucia had been famous for their powerful Shield magic for centuries. This was an unprecedented situation in which both houses had faced crises that toppled their flawless track records over a period of less than a single year. It seemed like proof that there was no safe place, and the people were filled with anxiety.

[This doesn’t bode well.]

Tsutomu’s expression turned skeptical as he surveyed the crowd, seemingly flocking to God for reassurance. Despite the gatekeeper’s assurance that the situation had somewhat settled following the King’s decree, the populace’s reliance on divine intervention seemed to hint at a willingness to embrace any solution offered by the Orbis Church, even surrender.

“Leon,” Christia said during the frontline unit’s meeting, “Could you search for Melchor and the others who haven’t arrived in the capital yet?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“As for the rest of you… I’ll figure out a detailed plan for security arrangements. Stay put at the inn until then.”

Absolute Helix, among those directed to remain on standby, made the inn rented by House Kantjelucia their base of operations. The place was also being utilized by the Scarlet Devil Squad, Ealdred Crow, and Golden Tune.

As they traversed the streets of the Royal Capital towards the inn, the atmosphere mirrored that near the gates — dark and foreboding. Although knights patrolled diligently, indicating no significant deterioration in security, Garm and Xeno walked with a cautious air akin to exploring a Dungeon.

“When it’s this quiet, the food doesn’t look quite as appetizing…” Daryl remarked.

“That’s what you’re concerned about, huh?”

Tsutomu could not help but offer a faint smile as he and Daryl saw a row of lethargic street vendors. Even Amy, with her cat ears fully upright, and the flustered Korinna seemed to be a little out of it. Diniel followed suit with a yawn.

“Look, you’re supposed to be–” Garm started, revving up a long lecture.

“H-huh?”

“Now, cut him some slack. He’s fine like this — being overly alert won’t do us any good.”

Considering the fact that monsters had already infiltrated the Royal Capital, Tsutomu maintained a suitable level of tension for immediate combat. Yet, compared to the excessive tension of the past, he now felt a balanced level of readiness.

And as soon as Absolute Helix entered the inn, a woman who had been controlling various skill wisps around her approached them, the emotion in her eyes changing for the brighter in a split second.

“Mister Tsutomu! Oh, am I so glad to see you safe and sound!”

“Huh? Uh, ah, thank you?”

Stephanie, who had volunteered to stand at the forefront herself from the moment Absolute Helix joined the frontline forces, let out a sigh of relief — and then her green wisps ran wild. Tsutomu, observing Stephanie’s over-the-top reaction akin to a joyous dog seeing its master return after a long absence, responded with a perplexed tilt of his head.

[Is it just me, or has she been… weird these days?]

Tsutomu had vaguely noticed Stephanie’s increasingly odd behavior toward him recently, but honestly could not recall what exactly triggered it. So, without grasping the exact distance between them, he promptly stepped away from the conversation and returned to his room. Once there, he called Ollie, who had come along to manage Absolute Helix’s supplies, over to his room.

“These are the types and quantities of consumable items used so far.”

“Thank you. Hmm, looks like we won’t be having any problems any time soon.”

Considering the turbulence within the Royal Capital, which served as the logistical hub, Tsutomu had stocked up on supplies without regard for cost beforehand. Consequently, a substantial amount of supplies had been secured for the thirteen members associated with Absolute Helix. Even if the Royal Capital was to be cut off by the Stampede, halting the flow of goods, they could endure for several years.

Tsutomu briefly discussed with Ollie about future scenarios and how to use their supplies, then visited Rook, the leader of Ealdred Crow.

“We have two Magic Stones each for Winter General and Mount Golem. Would you like to use them?”

“Whoa, that’d be awesome! Are you sure?”

“If you can summon those two, it’ll significantly boost our combat power. You might already be collecting them on your end, but if you need more, feel free to use them. You can pay me back after Stampede ends and we return to Dungeon City.”

“Thanks! The nobles are hoarding Colorless Magic Stones, so I’ve been struggling with summoning costs, you see. This should be plenty!”

Ealdred Crow boasted several high-level Summoners, with Rook the best among them. Tsutomu, aiming to avoid the Royal Capital’s occupation for the sake of conquering God’s Dungeon, handed over the Magic Stones he had obtained from Mount Golem and Winter General to bolster Ealdred Crow’s strength.

Given the mutual cooperation achieved with other Clans after the previous Stampede, a casual meeting among everyone upon Leon’s return should suffice.

“Oh, Sir Tsutomu. Miss Amy is heading out to perform with the marching band. I’ll be going with her.”

“Hmm, I’m free too, so I guess I can tag along.”

Amy was once again cooperating with the marching band to dispel the gloomy atmosphere, and this time, it seemed she had arranged for an escort in advance. With no tasks at hand until Christia’s next instruction, Tsutomu decided to accompany Daryl to watch the performance.

“It’s… it’s so… unnerving.”

“Yup.”

However, upon approaching the square, Tsutomu noticed that the gathered crowd wore solemn expressions, creating an atmosphere far from lively.

Amy, known primarily within Dungeon City, could be likened to a local idol. Consequently, she did not enjoy the same level of popularity in the Royal Capital, and those who had gathered in the square were mainly there out of curiosity, unfamiliar with her. Orbis’ attack had left the venue as chilly as subzero temperatures, far from a welcoming atmosphere for Amy.

“Helloooooo! Nice to meet you all! I’m Amy!”

Yet, Amy’s practiced dialogue and infectious cheer naturally brought smiles to the people’s faces. With unusual banter from the typically music-focused marching band and Amy’s spirited singing, the once cold square gradually warmed up.

The usual repertoire of the band’s performances tended toward pieces best listened to with closed eyes. However, this time, they were lively folk tunes, perfectly suited to Amy’s idol-like charisma. As the final song concluded and the band and Amy took their bows, the joint performance came to an end.

“Encore! Encore! A-M-Y! A-M-Y!”

“Someone’s hooked.”

Tsutomu could not help but comment on how Korinna was shouting as if she was a member of the Amy fan club, but then the others in the square began to join in the chant. In sync with the encore calls, Amy’s cat ears twitched, and the band’s middle-aged conductor raised his baton with a smile.

The band proceeded to play one more song for the encore, and after Amy sang and danced along, they closed with applause. Amy, now seamlessly blending in with the band, exchanged a few words with the crowd before approaching Tsutomu and the others.

“Ahoy!”

“You did great.”

“Hehehe… It was actually pretty scary, you know, how the crowd was so cold at first.”

Amy seemed to have felt the initial downcast mood deeply as well, but considering the event’s conclusion, it could be deemed a success.

“Mister Tsutomu, we’re grateful for permitting her participation. The turnout exceeded expectations.”

“Oh, no, it’s my pleasure. She’s quite the attention seeker, so I’m grateful for her getting the opportunity to perform.”

“Hey!”

Ignoring Amy’s tap on his back, Tsutomu thanked the conductor who, just as aged as Melchor, wore a gentle smile as he looked over the crowd in the square.

“The people here have brightened up a bit. It’s all thanks to the band’s performance and her contribution. Thank you, Miss Amy.”

“If there’s another chance, let’s perform together again!”

“Indeed, we’ll be depending on you.”

The conductor responded to Amy’s enthusiastic offer with a firm handshake. After a brief conversation with Amy, the conductor approached Tsutomu once more. His expression now was markedly darker than when he spoke with Amy.

“Do you think this Stampede will end without further incident…? I heard the enemy used to be human…”

“It’s… hard to say, unfortunately. There are too many unknown factors at the moment.”

“Hmm…”

With the conductor’s place of origin being the Royal Capital, the breach of Brooklyn Kantjelucia’s Shields must have stirred deep anxieties within him. While Tsutomu himself did not particularly care, he could empathize to some extent. If Tsutomu were in the shoes of the Royal Capital’s people, if the people here were from his hometown’s neighborhood back in Japan, ignoring their plight would be unthinkable.

“But judging from their activities so far, there shouldn’t be many opponents with human-like intelligence. Monsters are still the primary concern. Assuming we would be mostly dealing with monsters taking orders from humans, we should be fine in terms of military strength. Plus, it seems they have their own objectives they’re working toward.”

Tsutomu’s words, far from wishful thinking, seemed to bring some relief to the conductor, who had been hearing nothing but gloomy news lately.

“…That is a relief to hear. I was wondering what I’d do if even you said the situation was hopeless.”

“For what it’s worth, I don’t think Miss Christia has been that pessimistic either.”

“It was none other than you who gave me courage when I needed it most. That is why I know I can trust your words.”

During the previous incident, as the Devourer Dragon broke through the Shield and panic gripped the musicians, the conductor had been able to regain composure and continue providing support. The main reason he could do that was seeing the young Tsutomu bravely confront the Devourer Dragon.

“…Please don’t expect too much from me. If I may be perfectly blunt, I don’t particularly care what happens to the people here.”

“Regardless of your intentions, you’re still protecting the Royal Capital. I’ll be counting on you.”

“…All right, I understand. Thank you. Now if you can excuse me…”

Feeling like whatever he said would be deftly countered, Tsutomu resignedly ended the conversation and went to talk to Daryl. The conductor watched Tsutomu’s departing figure with a serene expression.

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