We successfully conquered the top floor of the school dungeon known as the "Wise Man's Playground" with an unplanned party.
To be honest, our strategy with an on-the-fly party had its share of uncertainties, especially with two new members, particularly doubting the power of Ciel and Uranus.
However, in the final boss battle, she was able to fully demonstrate her potential. While there are concerns, she should qualify to enter the highly challenging "Eternal Library" dungeon.
"Well, it's a close pass, but not a complete failure."
"You're quite the critic... you're not holding back, are you?"
Receiving a blunt evaluation, Ciel glared at me half-jokingly. Given the circumstances, there was no other way to evaluate her.
There were more moments that left me bewildered than her shining moments, including being toyed with by bats and crying out of fear from ghosts.
If she hadn't shown a stubborn side as one of the main heroines at the very end, I would have unhesitatingly declared her unfit.
"So, does this mean we've completed the conquest? Are we going to head back now?"
Electra tilted her head and asked.
"No, we'll do that after we collect our rewards. We've come all the way to the top floor; it wouldn't make sense if we didn't get the rewards."
I examined the body of Machine Orfred that lay destroyed by the three girls.
"When I push this... alright."
"Oh, Zenon-sama! The stairs are descending!"
Aeris pointed upward. As I looked up, a spiral staircase was slowly descending from above, activated by pressing a button on Orfred's head. It led to a room even higher up on the top floor.
"This should be the laboratory of one of the founders of this school, the wise man Orfred."
"Hey, Baskerville. Why do you know something like that?"
"Because I'm Baskerville. There's no other reason."
I casually replied to Ciel and began to climb the spiral staircase promptly. The three of them followed, trailing behind.
After climbing about fifty steps, we reached the ceiling area. Upon opening the door there, the scent of old books and dust immediately assaulted our noses.
"Oh, it's really dusty..."
"What is this room?"
Aeris asked, leaning into the room after me. It was indeed a room that could be described as a "mage's research room."
One of the walls had a wooden table with flasks and instruments arranged, while the other three walls were lined with bookshelves filled with old books that exuded a sense of history.
"This is the wise man Orfred's, huh... Wow, it's a treasure trove for mages!"
"The historical value seems remarkable too. I can't believe there's a place like this within the Royal Slayers Academy."
Ciel and Electra were also excited, their eyes shining.
Wise man Orfred, one of the humans who established the Royal Slayers Academy, was a character who didn't directly appear in the game but left behind many traces and legacies within the academy, including this research room.
Unraveling such mechanisms, like in some magic school, and exploring the academy is the highlight of this event.
"Here, take this."
"Whoa!"
I pulled out a wooden box hidden under the table and tossed it to Ciel, who managed to catch it without dropping it.
"Geez... you could have been more careful! Don't throw things like that!"
"Never mind that... just open it. There's something good inside."
"Honestly... what's this?"
When Ciel opened the box, she found a staff adorned with lavish decorations inside.
"Is this..."
"It's one of Wise Man Orfred's legacies... the 'Magic Staff Caduceus.'"
If you're a fan of fantasy, you've probably heard the name of the Magic Staff Caduceus. It's a staff owned by the Greek god Hermes, with a wooden main part entwined by two metal snakes and gold wings decorating the tip.
In [DunBrave], this staff is one of the most powerful weapons for mages that appears in the latter part of the game.
There was an effect that amplifies the power of magic and reduces the depleted magical power by 20%.
"Is this... really okay? I won't give it back, okay?"
"It's fine. If you're going to enter the 'Eternal Library', you'll need it."
"Thank you... I'm so happy!"
Ciel must have been so happy that she hugged the staff and smiled with emotion. Her smile was like a blooming rose.
"..."
For some reason, I felt guilty and averted my gaze from that smile.
"Muu..."
When I looked away, Aeris was there, staring at me with a pouting expression.
