“Underground level 3?”
Luciana blinked at her servant’s sudden suggestion.
“Are you mistaken? Our family’s vault only goes down to the second floor.”
Moreover, she was confident about this place, the vault’s second floor, as it was a place she frequented.
It wasn’t particularly to take any relics but rather to enjoy the sight of them, which seemed to affirm the prosperity of her family.
But a third floor? Even she, a member of the ducal family, was unaware of it.
How could he be so sure?
“Lady, do you feel the direction of the wind right now?”
Luciana was puzzled by his seemingly irrelevant question.
Wind is an important element in warfare. It’s rare not to consider wind in tactics such as fire strategies and ambushes.
Thus, she was well aware of the principles of how wind works.
“Of course, it should be towards the first floor….”
Luciana trailed off.
After listening to him, something did seem odd.
“Isn’t it strange? The wind is actually blowing in the opposite direction.”
It would be natural for the wind to blow from the relatively high-pressure area of the second underground level to the lower first level.
Yet, contrary to her understanding, the tassels on the tapestries hung on the wall were fluttering towards the inside of the second floor.
“Indeed, just as you say. It’s amazing how you found this out.”
“It’s all techniques learned from the west. They say it’s the know-how of tomb raiders. Oh, of course, I extracted this information through interrogation.”
“That doesn’t seem like something to be proud of.”
Luciana’s eyes sparkled. Underground level 3.
It was evident that there must be relics more precious than those displayed on this second floor, hidden even from a family member like herself.
“So, what will you do? Will you follow?”
“Well.”
Logically thinking, falling for his coaxing now would be unwise.
The relics here were essentially the weaponry of the Speda ducal family.
Handing over precious relics to Hans could directly lead to a loss of the ducal family’s strength.
But that was a concern from the perspective of a family member.
“It does seem interesting.”
She was intrigued by this deviation from the norm.
After all, she was curious about the relics on the underground third floor.
As she made up her mind, excuses followed.
He had saved her life, after all; strictly speaking, since he was a servant of their family, it wasn’t exactly a leak of power. He was exercising his rightful claim as a victor to take a better prize.
The reward he received was clearly an entry pass to the vault…
“I must admit, I can’t deny there’s a personal favor involved.”
Luciana chuckled bitterly.
She never dreamed she would become so close to a Westerner.
“The wind was a plausible guess, but I don’t see an entrance. How do you plan to find it?”
“There’s always a way.”
He frowned for a moment, then waved his fingers in the air a few times.
Luciana was puzzled.
Perhaps he was using some sort of magic, like during the final match of the recent tournament.
“I’ve found it.”
“…It’s just a wall.”
“There’s always a hidden mechanism.”
He felt along the wall between the relics and soon pulled out a brick that protruded slightly.
-Rumble.
“This is…!”
The wall, which had been solidly blocking the way, disappeared as if it had never been there.
In its place was a seemingly endless shaft.
“Huh. Fascinating. How did you find this?”
“I just saw something sticking out suspiciously, that’s all. Shall we go, Lady?”
Luciana followed and couldn’t help but chuckle at the faint humming coming from behind.
Hans, this impudent servant, was brazenly raiding the vault right in front of the Lady.
Halt.
Luciana was puzzled by Hans, who suddenly stopped in his tracks.
“Why are you just standing there? Go in and take whatever relic you like.”
“Well, getting the relics out seems to be a separate issue.”
Luciana was puzzled as she was about to retort.
Hans looked troubled, sweating as he stared into space.
***
Well, finding the entrance was hardly a big deal.
In games, I had frequented this spot to the point of wearing out the threshold.
The problem was the situation indicated by the status window when descending to the third floor.
[Speda Ducal Family Underground Vault Third Floor]
[You have not yet met the reputation requirements of the Speda Ducal Family. It will be treated as a dungeon.]
I had not expected to still be treated as entering a dungeon even while accompanying Luciana.
To make matters worse, the description was all the more outrageous.
[The Speda Ducal Family’s underground vault on the third floor hides relics containing the family’s secrets, along with other rare artifacts.]
[Therefore, this place has been made a home by the second strongest being in the Speda Ducal Family, serving as a guardian deity.]
[If you are not recognized by the head of the family, they will not look kindly upon you, aiming for the inheritance of their parents.]
The being second only to the Sword Saint.
The description specified in the status window suggested a being far stronger than the Ice Spirit encountered before.
Now it made sense.
The need for stealth in navigating the ducal vault was likely due to this guardian deity.
In the game, it was only represented as an insurmountable shadow, but…
“Considering the situation, the guardian deity seems to be on the third floor, and it would be problematic if we encounter it.”
“Hmm. Uncle, you mean?”
Ah, right. She mentioned she often visited the vault. Naturally, she would be familiar with the guardian deity.
“Could you explain a bit more about the guardian deity?”
This side only knew it was a being susceptible to stealth tactics, with no other information.
Gathering information before combat is a must.
Luciana’s knowledge would be of great help.
“Uncle is a Yeti.”
“…Excuse me?”
The information that came out was truly unexpected.
One of the three great monsters of the north.
A being known for its inability to communicate with humans and its ferocious wildness was the guardian deity?
A mix of doubt and admiration spontaneously emerged.
“To think a Yeti is the guardian deity. Risking the relics getting damaged with just a bit of commotion. That’s a bold decision.”
“It’s clear what you’re worried about.”
“I was just concerned about the family’s relics being in danger, as a servant.”
Specifically, the relics I intend to take.
Seemingly catching on to my true intentions, she looked at me with an incredulous gaze.
“The relics are safe. Uncle may be a Yeti, but if we’re being precise, he’s closer to a spirit. He can’t speak human language, but he can communicate by writing on the ground.”
“Ho…”
For someone who only associates Yetis with monsters, this was fascinating.
“My father told me that our ancestor tamed it. Since then, it has been guarding the vault continuously.”
[The true identity of the boss monster ‘Uncle’ is revealed.]
[The dungeon clear conditions have changed.]
[Uncle]
[The guardian deity protecting the Speda Ducal Family’s vault]
[Favorable towards the descendants of the Speda Ducal Family.]
Considering Luciana’s words and the status window message, it seemed that he might not be entirely hostile towards humans.
“Still, sneaking in seems better.”
“Can’t we just confront Uncle boldly?”
“I feel uneasy for some reason.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I did receive the vault entry pass as a reward…”
But I think the promise made during the martial tournament and his position might be different from our perspective.”
Luciana’s skepticism was reasonable.
‘He can communicate, so if I just explain that I am the winner of the martial tournament, maybe there’s no need for hostility and I could persuade him.’
That’s a fair point.
Up to the second floor, Uncle might have been convinced and stepped aside.
But, haven’t we seen the phrase in the status window before?
Given the circumstances, it’s unlikely he would warmly welcome us taking the ‘inheritance of their parents’ from the third floor.
After all, the system message referred to it as a ‘dungeon’.
That says it all.
Moreover, while Luciana has Speda Ducal Family blood flowing through her veins, allowing for some leniency, I am unmistakably an outsider.
If the attempt to persuade goes wrong, I could end up smashed by that giant fist.
I’d rather avoid that fate.
But.
We can’t just turn back now. Even if we have to retreat, shouldn’t we at least try?
“I think I understand the layout. It’s somewhat similar to ancient ruins in the west… Lift your heels and follow me slowly.”
After adding a somewhat lame excuse, I started to move forward cautiously.
I had tried to raid this place several times in the game.
Since I remember the entire internal structure, there’s no way we’d get caught if we’re careful around a few specific areas.
“How did I end up doing this in my own home’s basement…”
I chuckled at Luciana’s undignified grumbling from behind.
‘She has that side to her too.’
I was quite fond of the fact that she, who always tried to project perfection in the game, often showed me this other side of herself.
A charm of reversal.
I was realizing in real-time how intriguing it is to see a different side of my favorite character, whom I thought was only ever cold.
“Carefully follow me. We’re about to reach the first alley we need to be cautious of.”
In stealth, what’s the most crucial thing to pay attention to?
Minimizing the noise I make? Camouflage? Or maybe the position of the enemy?
Of course, all of these are important, but the essence is ‘to avoid getting caught for as long as possible by any means necessary.’
“That is…”
“Shh. It must be the sword used by one of your ancestors, Lady.”
Uniquely, the third floor of the underground vault didn’t have display stands for relics but an open clearing instead.
Like the famous sword in the legend of King Arthur of England, stuck in a stone, it emitted a cool breeze around it, proudly displaying its presence.
‘I got fooled by that thing so many times.’
It was as if it was announcing, ‘I am the most precious here.’
And it wasn’t exactly wrong.
The sword was occasionally mentioned by dukes and demons alike in the story.
A legendary artifact.
The sword used by the first Duke Speda.
Its glorious reputation alone was enough to stir a desire to collect it.
After much effort, when I finally found the third floor of the vault and succeeded in sneaking in, I was sure the moment I saw that sword.
I thought I had smoothly bypassed the guardian deity and grabbed the sword until I saw the message that appeared as soon as I touched it.
[Equip Restriction]
[You are not worthy.]
What happened next?
I was immediately game overed by what I presumed to be the guardian deity’s shadow.
After that, I tried dozens of times, leveling up, trying various skills, and even maxing out my infamy, but all attempts were in vain.
‘It took me a long time to realize it was a MacGuffin element, a story inserted for its flashy allure but ultimately as unreachable as the sour grapes.’
“Lady, you need to listen carefully to my instructions from now on. Lie flat and crawl towards that sword-stuck stone…”
While explaining, I suddenly felt something was off and looked back. Luciana was not there.
“Lady Luciana? What are you doing over there!”
I inadvertently shouted, forgetting we were sneaking around.
She was in front of the very sword that had caused me so many game overs, her hand naturally reaching out to it as if mesmerized by the light emitted by the sword.
-Thump. Thump.
And simultaneously, footsteps echoing through the warehouse came from the opposite side of me. They undoubtedly belonged to the guardian deity Yeti.
A one-armed giant wrapped in white fur.
The Yeti, standing opposite Luciana with the sword between them, swung its right arm around.
-Roar!
But regardless of the Yeti’s roar, several times larger and bulkier than herself, or its threatening arm movements,
Luciana paid it no mind.
No, more precisely, she was so captivated by the sword that she seemed blind to everything else.
“Damn it! Lady, that won’t come out! It’s defective! Let’s retreat for now! I’ll handle this monster, so hurry…”
-Swish.
However, my words were cut short. The chilling sound of the great sword’s blade scraping against the stone it was embedded in was clear enough to capture everyone’s attention.
“…Prove it.”
At the same time, the Yeti, who was said to be unable to speak, opened its mouth with a deep voice.
“Prove it! Prove it! Prove it!”
As if those were the only words it knew, it continued to shout them while stretching its massive and brutish fist towards Luciana.
Cliche Novel 