Chapter 275 : Chapter 275

Chapter 275. Green Sanctuary

Inette held her head.

"What is the professor thinking?"

Of all people, to bundle Radel and Leon together and send them into the dungeon!

She should have caught on when the professor said friends would become closer after entering the dungeon.

"Who knows what will happen if those two are in one space!"

The recent events came to her mind.

Certainly, killing intent had been flowing from Leon as he entered the dungeon.

His expression said he had no confidence he would not kill Radel if they were alone together.

"Moreover, Radel unnecessarily provoked Leon, making it more dangerous."

Inette bit her lip.

Radel's extremely suspicious operation was also a problem.

The intention was good.

If you approached a friend whose heart was closed and gradually helped them, they would come to know warmth and eventually their heart would open—that was the plan.

However, was Leon an ordinary human?

It was Leon, who had regarded Radel as a thorn in his eye since childhood.

In Inette's view, his heart did not seem like it would open easily with a few days of effort.

Moreover, Leon had become even colder recently.

He even distanced himself from his followers and did not mix words with people at all.

When he absolutely had to, he reluctantly gave only necessary answers and then shut his mouth.

To such a Leon, Radel constantly sent potions or notes attempting the secret friend operation.

It was amazing to watch from the side.

Moreover, was it not that his identity must not be discovered?

Then he had to help secretly, but his behavior was suspicious to anyone who saw it.

Far from opening his heart, it would be fortunate if Leon, who learned Radel's identity, did not close it forever.

'Who would like being followed around annoyingly...!'

From Inette's standpoint, who was distancing herself from followers because she was tormented by them, it was a situation that made her sigh.

"Ugh, let us stop. It is not like an answer will come from worrying."

"Are you only realizing that now? How impressive."

Gusto, who entered the dungeon with Inette, answered.

Inette glared at Gusto with an absurd heart.

Come to think of it, this was not the time to worry about others.

She herself had entered with the apprentice holy knight she could not stand the sight of.

Probably on Professor Lilian's list of friends who should become closer, Inette and Gusto were listed together.

"Who asked you to talk? I was talking to myself."

"If that sounded like talking to yourself, there is a problem with your ears. If you need Heal, please tell me anytime."

"You like Heal so much. If I say it is talking to myself, then it is talking to myself!"

"I wonder. If you speak when there is someone next to you, is that not talking to yourself?"

As expected, Gusto did not lose with a single word.

Inette's face turned red with anger.

"Hey!"

That was when it happened.

RUMBLE!

With a roar, the dungeon's ordinary appearance was changing.

The walls of the dark cave crumbled and a new space appeared.

Muggy air rushed over the two.

Gusto calmly placed his hand on his sword sheath and said.

"It is as the professor said. It seems the dungeon's terrain has been revealed."

"Right. We probably got jungle."

Inette also nodded while examining the changed appearance of the dungeon.

With the humid air came dense trees and a damp swamp greeting the two.

KIYAAK!

KRAAK!

And the sounds of magical beasts could be heard from far away.

"Ugh, I hate magical beasts that live in swamps because they are damp."

"Is it not better than waterways?"

Green Sanctuary had different terrain for each passage.

Depending on which entrance they entered through, they would encounter one of four terrains—that was Professor Lilian's explanation.

For the first-year Combat Magic majors who had already experienced various environments while climbing the Combat Tower, it was not a very unfamiliar task.

"Anyway, we have to pass through here and catch the mid-boss to get to the convergence point. Let us go quickly and check if Radel is alive."

Having heard the sounds of magical beasts, Inette made a determined expression.

Her hands had been itching thanks to the irritating fellows from earlier.

Inette took off and threw away her gloves and said to Gusto.

"You know what to do from now, right? The person who catches more wins."

"Should there not be some reward for the winner?"

"How about the winner is unconditionally right? Time limit is one day!"

"That is quite an interesting reward. Very well."

When Gusto agreed, Inette quickly ran out.

"Just watch! I will definitely win and make you nod at everything I say!"

CRACK!

Gusto also drew his sword and followed.

And he said in a calm voice.

"If I win, I will be able to preach all day about how wise and broad-minded Prince Radel is."

"Are you crazy? I will definitely win!"

Thus began the two's fierce bet.

* * *

Radel was not shaken by Leon's question.

He just asked back with a calm expression.

"Hm? Tricks?"

Moreover, Radel's eyes sparkled as if he was very curious.

"Leon, did something happen? Seeing you say that much, it does not seem like an ordinary matter."

Leon's expression turned cold.

He does not know?

...That could not be.

Who else would write notes spouting insane talk about a secret friend?

"It is useless to pretend not to know. I already know."

"Hmm... I do not know what you know."

Radel tilted his head.

"Should I not know exactly what you are talking about to tell you?"

This bastard...

Leon clenched his molars tightly.

What was he supposed to say?

There was no way he could say the embarrassing and childish words "secret friend" out loud.

Even the word "secret" was disgusting, but friend?

Secret friend?

Even thinking of that childish word made irritation surge up, but his pride would not allow him to say it out loud.

As Leon's face hardened, Radel threw out the next question.

"Or do you have evidence that it was me?"

Evidence?

Leon recalled burning every note the secret friend sent as soon as he read it.

The potions received from the secret friend were the same.

He broke or threw them all away.

There was no need to drink or keep potions when he did not know what was in them.

'It is a trap.'

His conviction was certain, but as Radel said, there was no evidence.

However, even to catch the culprit, it was impossible for Leon's personality to preciously keep notes or potions received from the secret friend.

Leon glared at Radel while grinding his teeth.

If he calculated this far, he was truly a cunning bastard.

"As you say, there is no evidence. But remember clearly. If you play tricks one more time, your neck will fly off immediately."

RUMBLE!

As soon as Leon warned Radel, the dungeon walls collapsed.

Beyond the crumbled walls, new terrain was revealed.

BUZZ.

CHIRP CHIRP.

The sound of bees flying around and birds chirping.

It was a vast flower garden bathed in warm sunlight.

It looked like an ordinary garden, but the energy of the shrubs and flowers was unusual.

'A flower garden.'

Radel quickly grasped the dungeon's terrain.

The more peaceful and non-threatening it looked, the more one should not let down their guard in a dungeon.

In that regard, the flower garden needed caution.

Having grasped the dungeon's characteristics, Radel turned his head toward Leon.

"Leon, this terrain is probably... huh?"

Leon had already distanced himself quite far.

His cold back seemed to say they should each go their own way.

Did I pretend not to know too much?

Radel scratched his cheek while watching Leon move away.

He did not know Leon would look for the secret friend with such a serious expression.

It seemed he was curious.

However, Radel absolutely could not tell him either.

Because the rule of a secret friend was never revealing one's identity until the end.

The moment the identity was revealed, the secret friend would no longer be a secret friend.

Although it was a bit regrettable, Radel had no intention of stopping here.

Because Leon's heart had not yet opened.

'I am sorry, Leon. Please understand my heart that must continue as a secret friend.'

It was a thought that Leon would rush at him to blow off his neck immediately if he knew...

* * *

BUZZ!

"Fly away."

Leon chanted a spell in a low voice.

Then bees the size of humans were hit by fierce wind pressure and flew away.

BANG!

CRASH!

Bees that crashed into trees and bees with broken wings fell to the ground and trembled their legs.

Seeing the children who had lost their strength, a giant queen bee drove her stinger into the ground with momentum to smash Leon's head.

WHIRR!

And the moment the sharp stinger pierced Leon.

STAB!

It was the queen bee that was pierced through.

A sharp ice awl had precisely penetrated the queen bee's abdomen.

"Ice."

It was Freezing Magic cast by Leon.

As he briefly swung his staff, cold spread rapidly from the awl that penetrated the bee's abdomen.

THUD!

The frozen solid queen bee fell to the ground.

Leon put away his staff and looked around.

The corpses of dozens of large bee magical beasts had fallen to the ground.

It seemed there were no living creatures in this area except Leon.

"Is the sun already setting?"

Leon, who had been watching the setting sun, muttered.

GRUMBLE.

Leon shut his mouth at the sound that could be heard faintly.

It was not loud, but it was definitely a sound from his stomach.

'I did not think about this part.'

Inside a dungeon, the flow of time was different from outside the dungeon.

Even if the sun set here, not even thirty minutes might have passed outside.

By now, enough time had passed that he could have had dinner outside.

However, he had not eaten anything since entering the dungeon.

'Why?'

To feel hunger.

It was a shock he had never experienced even once.

He recalled the voices that would have been heard by now and more.

'Your Highness, please try this! It is the finest meal we prepared.'

'Here is bread and cream with preservation magic.'

'We also brought eggs and cheese. Please try them!'

Only then did Leon realize why this was the first time.

Combat Magic majors usually pack food and minimal equipment when climbing the Combat Tower.

However, until now, Leon had no need to do so.

Naturally, his followers had brought and offered it before he was even hungry.

He thought they were fellows who only brought confusion...

Leon, who had stopped to think for a moment, shook his head.

He was a much stronger existence than his followers.

This level of hunger was nothing.

Right. Nothing at all...

GRUMBLE.

"?!"

A sound rang from Leon's stomach again.

It was because he smelled an enchanting scent.

It seemed to have the scent of fire...?

Leon moved his steps as if bewitched.

A light flickered in the darkness.

It was the light emitted by a campfire burning.

And on top of the campfire was a flat stone.

Someone placed a piece of meat on that stone.

SIZZLE!

With some magic, an irresistibly delicious aroma wafted out.

"Wow, grilling on a stone slab after a long time is different."

Someone said cheerfully.

It was the person Leon least wanted to encounter right now.

'Radel Silvert Cretian!'

Radel flipped the meat with skilled hands and made a regretful expression.

"But it is such a shame to eat something like this alone. I wonder if someone will not eat it with me?"

Upon hearing those words, a sound leaked out without any chance to stop it.

GRUMBLE.

It was the first type of crisis Leon had ever faced in his life.