"The third basement level?"
Luciana blinked at the proposal her attendant had suddenly made.
"Are you perhaps mistaken? Our house's vault only goes down to the second basement level."
She could be certain of it, especially because she often came to this second basement level of the vault.
Not because she meant to take any relics. Simply looking at them made her happy, as though they proved the continued prosperity of House Speda.
Yet a third level? Even she, a member of the ducal house, did not know about it.
How could he be so certain?
"My Lady, can you feel the direction of the wind right now?"
At the question that had come out of nowhere, Luciana tilted her head.
Wind was an important factor in warfare. Few tactics, whether fire attacks or ambushes, did not take the wind into account.
That was why she understood the principles behind it.
"Of course. It is blowing toward the first basement level from the..."
Luciana trailed off.
Now that she considered his words, something did seem strange.
"Isn't it suspicious that the wind is blowing in the opposite direction?"
It was only natural for air to flow from the relatively high-pressure second basement level toward the lower-pressure first basement level.
Yet, as if defying common sense, the tassels of the tapestry on the wall were swaying deeper into the second level.
"You're right. It's becoming almost uncanny how you keep finding things like this."
"It is all something I learned in the West. Tomb raiders have their own tricks, apparently. Ah, though I learned it by torturing them."
"That does not seem like something to be proud of."
Luciana's eyes sparkled.
The third basement level.
If it had been hidden even from her, a member of the family, it was only obvious that it held relics more precious than those displayed on this second level.
"So, what will you do? Will you come with me?"
"Well."
Rationally speaking, it would be foolish to fall for his temptation now.
The relics here were weapons of House Speda.
If she casually handed Hans a priceless relic, it would directly reduce the ducal house's fighting strength.
But that was only the perspective of a member of the family.
"It does look interesting."
She was intrigued by the mischief he was proposing.
It was not as though she had no curiosity about the relics on the third basement level either.
Once she had made up her mind, excuses followed.
He was the benefactor who had saved her life.
He was an attendant of House Speda, so strictly speaking, it was not a loss of their fighting strength.
As the tournament champion, he was simply exercising his rightful claim to take a better reward.
The reward he had received was, without question, admission to the vault...
‘Honestly. I cannot deny that personal favor is mixed into this.’
Luciana smiled bitterly.
She had never dreamed she would become this close to someone from the West.
"The wind is a plausible clue, but I do not see an entrance down. How do you intend to find it?"
"There is always a way."
He frowned briefly, then waved his fingers through the air a few times.
Luciana tilted her head.
Was he about to use some sort of magic, like he had during the final match of the Martial Arts Tournament?
"Found it."
"It is just a wall."
"There are always hidden mechanisms."
He ran his fingers along a wall between two relics, then pulled out a single protruding brick.
Rumble.
"This is...!"
The solid wall vanished as though it had never been there.
In its place was what looked like a bottomless pupil.
"Hah. Incredible. How did you find something like this, too?"
"I just saw something sticking out suspiciously. Come on, My Lady."
Luciana could not help but chuckle as she followed him. A faint hum drifted back to her.
Even as he looted the vault before the duke's daughter, Hans, her insolent attendant, was absurdly brazen.
He suddenly stopped.
"Why are you standing there? Go on in and bring out whichever relic you like."
"Entering and taking a relic out seem to be separate problems."
As Luciana was about to ask what he meant, she tilted her head.
Hans looked as though he were staring into empty space. A troubled expression crossed his face, and a bead of sweat trickled down.
***
Well, finding the entrance was no trouble at all.
I had worn out the threshold of this place in the game.
The problem was what the Status Window showed when we went down to the third level.
[House Speda's Third Basement Vault]
[You have not yet met House Speda's Reputation requirement. This area is treated as a dungeon.]
I had not expected it to count as a dungeon even with Luciana accompanying me.
To make matters worse, the description was even more ridiculous.
[House Speda's Third Basement Vault conceals rare relics, including artifacts that hold the house's hidden history.]
[For that reason, House Speda's second-strongest being has made this place its home, serving as its Guardian Deity.]
[If you have not earned the house head's recognition, it will not look kindly on you for coveting its parents' relics.]
The being second only to the Sword Saint.
Even the Status Window's description made it clear that this was someone on an entirely different level from the Snow Spirit I had encountered before.
Now I understood.
The reason stealth was required to raid House Speda's vault in the game was probably largely because of this Guardian Deity.
In the game, it had only appeared as an immense shadow I could not hope to resist.
"It seems the Guardian Deity is on the third level, so getting caught would be a problem."
"You mean Uncle?"
Oh, right. She said she came to the vault often. Of course she would know the Guardian Deity.
"Could you tell me a little more about the Guardian Deity?"
All I knew was that stealth worked against it. I had no other information at all.
Gathering information was essential before a fight.
Luciana's knowledge would be a tremendous help.
"Uncle is a Yeti."
"...Pardon?"
The information that came from her mouth was completely unexpected.
One of the Three Great Monsters of the North.
That huge beast, too savage even to communicate with humans, was the Guardian Deity?
An incredulous sound slipped out of me.
"He could damage the relics merely by rampaging a little. Making a Yeti the Guardian Deity is quite the bold decision."
"I can see exactly what you are worried about."
"I am merely worried that the relics of my mistress's house might be endangered."
More precisely, the relics I wanted to take.
As though she had seen through my thoughts, she gave me a look of disbelief.
"The relics are intact. Uncle is a Yeti, but he is closer to a spirit beast, if anything. He cannot speak human language, but he can communicate by writing on the floor."
"Oh..."
To me, who could only think of Yetis as monsters, it was fascinating.
"Father told me that our founder tamed him. He has guarded the vault ever since."
[The identity of Boss Monster ‘Uncle’ has been revealed.]
[The dungeon-clear conditions have changed.]
[Uncle]
[Guardian Deity guarding House Speda's vault]
[He is favorable toward the descendants of House Speda.]
Putting Luciana's explanation together with the Status Window's messages, he did not seem especially hostile toward humans.
"Still, I think it would be better to sneak in."
"Can we not simply confront Uncle openly?"
"I have a bad feeling about it."
"About what?"
"I received vault access as my reward, but... the terms of the Martial Arts Tournament and his own position are probably separate matters."
Luciana's question was reasonable.
‘From her perspective, since Uncle can communicate, she probably thinks we can just explain that I won the Martial Arts Tournament and persuade him without any need for conflict.’
She was right.
Uncle would probably have understood and stood aside if we were only going down to the second basement level.
But I had just read the Status Window's message.
He would not welcome us kindly if we took relics from the third level—most likely his parents' belongings.
The system itself had called this place a dungeon.
That said it all.
Luciana at least had House Speda's blood and might be shown some consideration. I, on the other hand, was unmistakably an outsider.
If our attempt at persuasion went wrong, I would be turned into a bloody pulp under that enormous fist.
I had no interest in that outcome.
Still.
I could not turn back now. Even if retreat was an option, should I not at least try first?
"I think I have the rough layout figured out. It is similar to an ancient ruin in the West... Walk on your toes and follow me slowly."
After offering a rough excuse, I carefully started forward.
I had tried to loot this place countless times in the game.
I remembered its internal layout perfectly, so as long as we were cautious in a few areas, there was no way we would be discovered.
"How did I end up sneaking around beneath my own house..."
I chuckled at Luciana's uncharacteristically undignified mutter from behind me.
‘She has a side like that, too.’
It pleased me immensely that she, who had tried to show only perfection even in the game, so often revealed this other side of herself to me.
A hidden charm.
I was learning in real time that seeing a new side of my favorite character—someone I had thought was only cold—could make me fall for her all over again.
"Be careful, My Lady. The first corridor we need to watch out for is just ahead."
What was the most important part of infiltration?
Keeping the noise I made to a minimum? Disguises? Knowing the enemy's position?
Of course, all of those mattered, but the key was staying undiscovered for as long as possible, no matter what it took.
"That is..."
"Shh. It was probably a sword used by one of your ancestors."
Strangely, the third basement level of the vault had a wide, open space, without any display cases for the relics.
Like the famous sword from the legend of King Arthur, it was embedded in a boulder. Cold wind flowed from it as it stood in majestic splendor.
‘That thing fooled me so many times.’
It was practically advertising, “I am the most precious thing here.”
And it was not exactly wrong.
It had been mentioned now and then throughout the story, either by the duke or demonkind.
A legendary relic.
The sword wielded by the first Duke Speda.
Its grand reputation had naturally stirred up my desire to collect it.
That was why, after finally finding the third basement level and successfully sneaking in, I had been certain the moment I saw that sword.
At least, I had been until I lured the Guardian Deity somewhere else and grabbed it, only to see the message that appeared.
[Equip Restriction]
[You do not meet the requirements.]
And after that?
The massive shadow I assumed was the Guardian Deity had sent me straight to a game over.
Afterward, I tried dozens of times. I leveled up, collected all sorts of skills, and even raised my Notoriety to the limit, but it had all been pointless.
‘It was a MacGuffin—nothing but sour grapes, with flashy story lore added in even though it could never actually be used.’
"My Lady, you need to listen carefully from here on. Get down flat and crawl toward the boulder where the sword is embedded..."
Something felt off in the middle of my explanation, so I looked back.
Luciana was not there.
"Lady Luciana? What are you doing over there?!"
I shouted before I could remember that we were supposed to be sneaking around.
She stood right in front of the bait sword that had given me so many game overs.
As though entranced by the light pouring from the sword, she naturally placed a hand on it.
Thump. Thump.
At the same time, heavy footsteps shook the vault from the other side.
They could only belong to the Guardian Deity Yeti.
"..."
A one-armed giant covered in white fur.
The Yeti faced Luciana with the sword between them, swinging its right arm around.
Roar!
But no matter how the Yeti, many times larger and taller than her, roared and threatened her with its arm, Luciana paid it no heed.
No, more accurately, the sword seemed to have captured her attention so completely that she could see nothing else.
"Damn it! My Lady, it will not come out! It is defective! Let's retreat for now! I will handle that monster, so hurry..."
Shing.
My words were cut off midway. The cold scrape of the greatsword's blade against the stone where it had been embedded rang out clearly enough to seize everyone's attention.
"...Prove it."
At the same time, the Yeti, which I had been told could not speak, opened its mouth in a deep voice.
"Prove it! Prove it! Prove it!"
As though those were the only words it knew, it kept shouting them and thrust its immense, brutal fist toward Luciana.