"Young Master Enoch. Lady Jevella. I apologize for interrupting your meal, but you must evacuate immediately."
Aaron and Karen suddenly burst through the door of the dining hall.
Seeing the urgent expressions on the grandfather and granddaughter, both Jevella and I were taken aback. Aaron quickly added an explanation.
"...It's a dungeon backflow."
What's that?
I blinked at the unfamiliar term, but it seemed I was the only one who didn't know what a dungeon backflow was. Jevella's face hardened instantly.
"Why? There was one two years ago, so shouldn't things be quiet for a while?"
"I don't know the reason. But the backflow has definitely occurred, my lady. We've mobilized all the forces inside the castle... but it looks a bit dangerous."
"First, contact all the nearby territories and request reinforcements. We can't charge out like last time, so we should focus on defending the walls."
"Understood. Then, regarding the knights' deployment..."
She was still sitting on my lap, but the playful atmosphere from moments ago had vanished. Jevella now wore a serious expression as she conversed with Aaron.
To keep her from slipping off, I wrapped an arm around her waist and asked Karen.
"So squishy."
"...Young Master?"
"Ah, wrong line. What's a dungeon backflow, and why is it such a big deal?"
"..."
Karen eyed me and Jevella—still perched on top of me—with suspicion, but soon let out a short sigh and continued her explanation.
"You know the basics about dungeons, right?"
"I've heard it so much from you that my ears are numb, so yeah, I remember roughly."
I shrugged and mentally organized the history of House Zahav and the common knowledge of the world outside Calypso Territory that Karen had read to me for half a day.
The Empire has four great ducal houses, each blocking the empire's great enemies in the east, west, south, and north.
Among them, House Zahav in the south has made it their mission to seal the dungeon and the monsters crawling out from within it.
So, what is a dungeon? When I first heard the term, I vaguely imagined the dungeons from games I played in my previous life.
Well, it wasn't entirely wrong on a broad level... but they were a bit more dangerous and horrific than that.
In the distant past, when magic, aura, and technology hadn't developed, people had no choice but to rely on the gods for most hardships.
Naturally, faith flourished, and a far greater variety of gods emerged and were active than today... the era commonly called the Age of Gods.
Of course, evil gods weren't exceptions... and as a result, a particularly troublesome evil god was born.
Tragodea, the God of Tragedy.
It had only one worshipper. Its innate authority was singular as well.
It descended into that worshipper to answer their final prayer—the one that birthed it—and ultimately dragged the world into tragedy. An evil god of that sort.
Of course, Tragodea's plan was thwarted midway and didn't succeed fully, which is why the current world persists.
In any case, after many gods and heroes sacrificed themselves to defeat Tragodea, the world was already filled with tragedy.
Unable to fully annihilate the God of Tragedy, they divided it into four parts and scattered them across the continent's east, west, south, and north.
You can probably guess by now... The empire's great enemies are the fragments of the shattered Tragodea, and the four great ducal houses and the imperial family are descendants of the heroes who fragmented it.
The part sealed in the south is Tragodea's lower body.
Perhaps because it's the lower half that's buried there, monsters once controlled by Tragodea endlessly pour out from the southern seal.
To contain this somehow, the gods and mortals of the entire continent devised a certain structure.
A facility designed to effectively isolate the infinitely spawning monsters and, depending on the situation, allow entry to regulate their numbers.
That is the dungeon.
House Zahav makes managing these dungeons their trade. They periodically enter to cull the monsters and defeat any that overflow unexpectedly.
"A dungeon backflow refers to a massive number of monsters breaking out of the dungeon, Young Master."
"Nah, that's not a backflow. If anything, 'excretion' would be more accurate, right? It's just monsters still warm from Tragodea's lower half overflowing out of the dungeon."
"...Saying it like that makes it sound really gross. Probably why they call it a backflow instead, so it doesn't feel so uncomfortable."
"Aha."
A reasonable guess.
In any case, I now understood what a dungeon backflow was and why the mood was so grave. If an enormous horde of monsters attacked without warning, anyone would take it seriously.
"But you said House Zahav has managed them well so far. Can't you handle this one too?"
"Normally, yes, but..."
Karen trailed off there. Jevella, half-embraced by me, tapped the arm I had around her and answered in her place.
"Sigh. The problem is that our foolish brothers have been killing each other off, weakening House Zahav considerably. This backflow probably happened so soon because our reduced forces failed to regulate the numbers inside the dungeon."
Jevella let out a deep sigh and gazed out the window. Her eyes carried a hint of guilt.
A sense of responsibility as a member of House Zahav... or maybe it felt too heavy for that. Was it just my imagination?
It was like she was looking at a calamity she had summoned herself.
Back in Calypso, devil worshippers who realized they'd been tricked into fraudulent contracts by the devils they served would show that expression once in ten.
I observed Jevella quietly for a moment. Then she lifted her head with a resolute expression.
Karen nodded and added a supplement.
"As Lady Jevella said. With the previous patriarch, Lord Cain, absent, and no other Zahav blood kin to subjugate the dungeon monsters, the knight orders have suffered considerable losses. A backflow in this situation... will require some sacrifices."
"Some sacrifices, huh."
House Zahav looks fine on the surface right now, but inside, it's a mess. Its fundamental scale keeps it afloat for now, but without a proper heir, it's simultaneously plagued by chaos and a lack of force.
Still, with their experience, they're confident they can hold off the monster horde. The process just won't be smooth.
That's probably why Jevella immediately focused on defense and borrowing power from surrounding territories.
From what Karen told me, House Zahav was always at the forefront, like vanguard leaders smashing dungeon monsters.
Yet now, House Zahav is making excuses? That's as good as advertising to everyone that their power has weakened.
And if the south's hegemon is revealed to be a paper tiger... hyenas will naturally swarm in.
Jevella did it to minimize casualties, while Aaron was worried about the aftermath of repelling the monsters.
Either way—whether relying solely on House Zahav's strength or borrowing from neighbors—Jevella and I need to evacuate to safety.
I got it. I understood, but...
Something felt lodged in my throat like a fishbone. Did that look like I was pondering?
This time, Karen's grandfather and head butler, Aaron, spoke to me. As if trying to persuade me.
"The defensive lines around the dungeon have already been breached. In the end, we have no choice but to hold with the current garrison forces."
"Hmm."
"...The Silver Lion Knights guarding the castle, and even the Golden Lion Knights who escort Zahav blood kin, must step up. So you two, who will be defenseless, must head to safety."
"I see. Sounds like it could really go to shit."
Karen opened her mouth with her usual impassive expression, as always.
"Young Master Enoch. As I said before, please mind your language."
"Sure, Karen. Like I said before, I thought carefully and concluded it could go to shit, so what's wrong with saying it?"
"..."
Karen let out a short sigh. Seeing this, Aaron smiled faintly and added.
"You've heard from Karen, so you know, but House Zahav is in a precarious situation right now. However, it's temporary. Given time, we can recover as much as needed."
"Yeah?"
"Yes. But without you, Enoch, House Zahav ends here. Even if it continues, it'd be an empty shell in name only. Please understand your own importance, Young Master."
"My importance, huh..."
Aaron thinks that with me alone, the once-shaky House Zahav will find its center someday.
Tricky. I plan to abandon this house in a month... no, get abandoned by it and leave the south.
Having too much attention focused on me, or the idea that it has to be me, isn't good for me either.
After a brief mental整理, I tilted my head arrogantly and glared at Aaron. Putting on the most haughty expression I could manage.
"Head Butler. So you're telling me to run away? While watching my soldiers and territory folk become monster chow?"
"...Young Master?"
Ah, and I can't forget to slip in that Jevella might be more suited to patriarch than me.
I spoke to the wide-eyed Aaron in a mocking tone.
"House Zahav ends without me? Then what's Jevella sis here? Not Zahav? If we're talking bloodline legitimacy, she's got more than me."
"Th-that's..."
Was he pretty flustered? Unlike his usual flawless demeanor—good or bad—he flinched visibly.
Soon after, he bowed politely.
"My apologies, Young Lord. It seems I lacked awareness as one who serves House Zahav."
"Apologize to Jevella sis, not me."
"...I'm sorry, Lady Jevella."
Aaron bowed deeply once more. Jevella looked back and forth between me and the head butler in bewilderment.
As if something utterly unexpected had happened, or as if she'd overheard something she shouldn't have.
"I-it's fine. Isn't there something more important right now?"
"Oh dear. We've delayed too long. Please head to the Safety Room at once. It won't be affected by the battle."
"Safety Room? What's that, Karen?"
"It's like a bunker built inside the mansion for emergencies. Protected by numerous spells, stocked with some food, and equipped with a secret passage for worst-case scenarios. It only opens to Zahav blood, so security isn't a concern."
"..."
No way, a bloodline scanner popping up here all of a sudden?
The deadline I thought was a month away had suddenly jumped to ten minutes. My head spun dizzily, but I desperately clung to it and plastered on the wastrel smile that was becoming habitual.
"Nah, I don't wanna."
"Not this childish nonsense again..."
Karen sighed deeply and grabbed my sleeve to drag me.
"I know you're strong, Young Master, but this is a dungeon backflow—a monster wave. And this one's made entirely of orcs! Unlike other waves where monsters fight each other, orcs band together and turn into an army the more they clump!"
"So the monsters that burst out this time are orcs? I've fought them a few times."
"This isn't something to answer so casually. Even the greatest warriors can be trampled by endless monsters from a single mistake. Grandpa and I aren't doing this for no reason. Please come quietly."
"Karen, Karen. I said no."
Getting dragged there would just lead to awkwardly standing in front of a door that won't open, or forcing Jevella—who's been eyeing me with a complicated look—to open it.
One way or another, they'd discover or suspect I don't carry Zahav blood.
So I absolutely can't go to that Safety Room or whatever.
...Actually, this could be an opportunity.
Dungeon monsters are influenced by Tragodea, making them stronger than outside ones, right?
I've fought regular orcs in Calypso's underground arena...
But much stronger ones coming like a tidal wave?
A few would be one thing, but fighting to the end is impossible.
Time to turn that to my advantage.
Charge recklessly into danger on a whim, then come back retreating in panic...
What a pathetic sight. Perfect for overturning the slightly inflated reputation I've built.
...And above all, in a battle where many might die, I can lend a hand, however little.
Is it because my Earth mindset hasn't fully faded? Watching people die without doing anything feels tough.
Two birds with one stone. Nice.
I nodded, released Jevella from my half-embrace, and headed out of the dining hall.
The three hurried after me with anxious expressions, as if fearing I'd leap into the fray.
I opened a corridor window, finally revealing the outside scenery.
There, far off—a towering pyramid-shaped structure. That must be the dungeon.
And the green wave filling the space from the dungeon to the castle walls... those are the orcs bursting out.
Staring out the window, I spoke.
"Dungeon-born or whatever, orcs are orcs. Hiding from a bunch of piglets just because there's a lot of them? I don't like that."
"Young Master! This isn't the time to be stubborn!"
"I decide when it's okay to be stubborn."
Pure stubborn mule talk. I felt a swell of pride at coming up with it myself as I shook off Karen's hand on my sleeve.
Then I threw myself toward the window.
Crash!
The thin glass dividing the mansion's interior from the outside shattered, and my body floated in the air.
They clearly hadn't expected me to actually jump out the window. Karen's face was blank with shock. I waved to her.
"Hahaha! You guys just watch from there!"
"Young Master Enoch! That favor you mentioned last time! I'm calling it in now... Don't pretend you can't hear me! Y-you crazy Young Master!!"
"Oh."
For the first time, Karen's stoic mask cracked.
Felt kinda proud.