Dust was still falling from the dungeon ceiling when Nocelle and Lyra finally reached the surface.
The afternoon light greeted them immediately.
For a moment...
Lyra simply stood there.
She took a deep breath of the fresh air.
"...Ahh."
"Fresh air."
It felt...
far more pleasant than the damp, blood-scented air inside the dungeon.
Behind them...
hundreds of Puppet Army units emerged one after another.
Not a single one of them ran.
There was no panic.
They continued moving in the same formation.
Shield Units at the front.
Spear Units in the middle.
Archers at the rear.
Even after such a prolonged battle...
their formation remained perfectly orderly.
Lyra glanced back.
"...They really haven't changed at all."
Nocelle walked past her.
"Discipline is the foundation of an army."
Lyra nodded.
Then...
she looked toward Nocelle.
"Miss Nocelle."
"Yes?"
"Do you think..."
Lyra glanced back toward the dungeon, which was beginning to collapse in the distance.
"...we really did it?"
Nocelle stopped.
Her gaze shifted toward the mountains.
The dungeon that had once stood there...
was gone.
All that remained were piles of stone and earth, slowly settling back into silence.
"Yes."
"We did it."
Lyra broke into a wide smile.
"...Good."
She then raised both hands.
"That means we can go home!"
Nocelle stared at her.
"...We were going home either way."
"Hehe."
Lyra started walking again.
However...
only a few steps later...
Nocelle stopped.
Lyra stopped as well.
"...?"
Nocelle turned toward one of the Puppet Soldiers.
"Unit Twenty-Three."
The Puppet immediately knelt.
Nocelle raised her hand.
Threads of mana emerged from her fingertips.
Several damaged sections of the Puppet's armor immediately detached.
"Report the damage."
The Puppet nodded.
"Minor damage to twenty-seven units."
"Moderate damage to eleven units."
"Six units have lost combat functionality."
Lyra approached them.
"...We lost quite a lot."
Nocelle shook her head.
"Those numbers are still within acceptable limits."
"And..."
Nocelle's gaze shifted toward the Dimensional Rift that remained open behind them.
"The production facilities are still intact."
Lyra blinked.
"...Oh."
She began to understand.
As long as the factory remained...
the army could simply be rebuilt.
Nocelle then raised her hand.
"Skill: Recall Unit."
Hundreds of Puppet Army units came to a halt.
Threads of mana began to glow.
One by one...
the Puppets' bodies disappeared into the Dimensional Rift.
They were returning to the Black Fortress.
Without a sound.
Without any commotion.
In less than a minute...
only Nocelle and Lyra remained.
Lyra let out a relieved sigh.
"Then..."
"We're really done."
Nocelle nodded.
"Yes."
"Let's go home."
----
The sun was beginning to sink when they finally re-entered the territory of the Black Fortress.
From a distance...
the towering black walls were already visible.
Thin wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys of the houses.
Several residents walked along the streets.
Children played nearby.
Some of the men were still busy repairing buildings.
The place...
was already vastly different from when they had left that morning.
Lyra smiled.
"...They've really grown."
Nocelle said nothing.
However...
her gaze also shifted toward the settlement.
They drew closer.
The gates of the Black Fortress stood open.
Several Puppet Workers standing guard immediately lowered their heads.
Nocelle returned the gesture with a small nod.
Then...
Lyra suddenly stopped.
"...?"
She looked ahead.
Someone was standing near the gate.
Hax.
He stood with both hands tucked inside his coat pockets.
His expression was as calm as ever.
However...
he wasn't alone.
Standing beside Hax...
was someone Lyra had never seen before.
A young man.
His black hair was messy, falling haphazardly around his face.
However...
half of his face was covered by a layer of worn bandages wrapped around it carelessly.
The bandages didn't stop at his neck.
Several layers continued hanging all the way down to his waist.
Beneath them...
he wore nothing but black trousers.
No armor.
No visible weapon.
His clothing was simple.
Far too simple for someone standing beside Hax.
And yet...
there was something about him that made Lyra uncomfortable.
The young man's aura...
wasn't human.
It wasn't even like that of an ordinary monster.
There was something unnatural hidden beneath those bandages.
Something that made Lyra feel...
as though she were looking at a creature deliberately concealing its true form.
The young man was staring at Lyra and Nocelle with an impatient expression.
Lyra slowed her steps.
"...Who is that?"
Nocelle recognized him immediately.
She stopped walking.
Her red eyes narrowed slightly.
"...Mimic."
The young man immediately turned toward her.
"Heh."
A quiet chuckle came from behind the bandages covering his face.
His eyes narrowed.
As though...
he were smiling beneath them.
"Finally, you're back."
Lyra blinked.
"...You know him?"
Nocelle answered flatly.
"One of the Seven Enigma."
Lyra immediately fell silent.
"..."
Her eyes slowly widened.
"...One of them?"
Mimic grinned.
"Number Six."
He raised both hands.
"Mimic."
"Shadow Mimic."
Lyra swallowed.
She had heard about the Seven Enigma from her master before.
But...
the person standing in front of her looked nothing like the terrifying creature who was supposed to be one of the seven strongest monsters under Hax.
He looked...
like someone who was far too confident in himself.
Mimic suddenly pointed at Lyra.
"So you're the Dryad he created?"
Lyra pointed at herself.
"...Me?"
"Yeah."
Mimic walked closer.
"So you're the one who went into the dungeon with Nocelle?"
"U-Uh..."
Lyra nodded.
"That's right."
Mimic looked her up and down.
Then...
he nodded in approval.
"You don't look too weak."
"...What do you mean, 'not too weak'?"
Mimic grinned.
"Means you're decent."
"That's not a compliment!"
"Hahaha!"
Lyra immediately puffed out her cheeks.
Nocelle stepped forward.
"Mimic."
Her voice remained flat.
Yet...
Mimic immediately stopped laughing.
"What?"
"Stop bothering her."
"I'm just talking."
"You're annoying her."
"She's easily annoyed."
Lyra immediately pointed at him.
"I'm not easily annoyed!"
Mimic pointed back.
"See?"
"..."
Lyra fell silent.
Nocelle sighed.
"Just like always."
Mimic snorted.
"What do you mean, 'just like always'?"
"You haven't changed."
"I have changed."
"No."
"I have."
"I don't see it."
"I HAVE CHANGED!"
Nocelle stared at him without expression.
"...You're still shouting."
Mimic immediately fell silent.
"..."
Lyra covered her mouth.
Her shoulders began to tremble.
"Hahaha..."
Mimic sharply turned toward her.
"Are you laughing?"
Lyra immediately shook her head.
"No!"
"You're obviously laughing!"
"I'm not!"
"You—"
"Mimic."
Hax's voice finally rang out.
One word.
Just one word.
Yet...
Mimic immediately stopped.
His entire body even snapped upright.
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
Nocelle glanced at him.
Lyra did too.
Both of them fell silent.
For several seconds...
no one spoke.
Then Nocelle said flatly,
"...Let's stop the joking around for now."
Mimic immediately turned toward her.
"Fine."
"So you only listen to His Majesty."
"Obviously."
The answer came so quickly...
Nocelle didn't even need to think about it.
Mimic then turned back toward Hax.
The change happened almost instantly.
His shoulders straightened.
His tone became calmer.
"...Your Majesty."
Hax raised an eyebrow.
"What is it?"
Mimic stepped closer.
"You're the reason I'm here, Your Majesty."
Mimic glanced at Hax.
"I simply wanted to see the world you once told me about with my own eyes."
"And now..."
A faint smile appeared beneath his bandages.
"I finally get to see what kind of world would be foolish enough to stand against you."
Mimic continued in a calm voice.
"To be honest, I'm curious."
"How long will this world last before someone realizes who they're dealing with?"
Hax fell silent.
Then...
he raised one hand and pressed his palm against the front of his helmet.
An old habit.
Even after becoming what he was now...
apparently, some human habits were still difficult to shake.
"...Enough."
Mimic immediately fell silent.
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
Hax then shifted his gaze toward Nocelle.
"How was the dungeon?"
Nocelle's expression immediately returned to its usual calm.
"Destroyed."
"The Dungeon Core?"
"Annihilated."
"Losses?"
Nocelle gave a brief report.
"Several Puppet Army units were damaged."
"However..."
"The production facilities remain intact."
Hax nodded.
"Good."
His gaze then shifted toward Lyra.
"And you?"
Lyra immediately straightened.
"I'm fine!"
Hax examined her.
There were no serious injuries.
However...
there was a little dust in her hair.
"Good."
A small smile appeared on Lyra's face.
Nocelle noticed it.
Then...
Mimic suddenly interrupted.
"So you really destroyed the dungeon?"
Lyra nodded.
"Yes."
She glanced at Nocelle.
"Miss Nocelle handled everything."
Then...
she smiled proudly.
"But I was the one who destroyed the Dungeon Core."
Mimic stopped.
"...You?"
Lyra nodded.
"My skill destroyed it."
Mimic stared at her for several seconds.
Then...
he grinned.
"Heh."
Lyra immediately became wary.
"...What?"
"Means you're decent."
"Why does everyone keep saying that?!"
Mimic laughed.
"Hahaha!"
He then raised a hand.
"Then let's fight next time."
Lyra froze.
"...What?"
"A fight."
Mimic pointed at Lyra.
"I want to see how strong you are."
Lyra stared at him in disbelief.
"...We just met."
"That's the point."
Mimic's grin widened.
"I want to know whether you're worthy of standing at His Majesty's side."
Lyra fell silent.
Mimic grinned.
"Don't misunderstand."
"I'm not underestimating you."
"..."
"I simply don't like weak people staying too close to His Majesty."
Nocelle sighed.
"Mimic."
"...What?"
"Don't judge people you've just met."
Mimic snorted.
"Fine."
Then he glanced at Lyra.
"...For now."
Hax then walked past them.
"Let's go."
Mimic immediately followed.
"We're going to the neighboring country, like you mentioned before?"
Hax nodded.
"To gather information."
Mimic was silent for a moment.
A quiet voice came from beneath the bandages covering his face.
"...Interesting."
Hax glanced at him.
"Don't cause trouble."
Mimic lowered his head slightly.
"...Of course."
He fell silent for a moment.
Then...
"However, if someone chooses to stand in our way..."
Mimic's gaze turned sharp.
"...I see no reason to leave them standing."
Mimic caught the slightest movement of Hax's head.
As though his master were holding something back.
Perhaps...
a quiet laugh.
Hax had another objective.
He had become far too well-known in the Kingdom of Etravia.
Even after the entire world had changed...
his name had begun to spread.
If he wanted to find out what was truly happening in this world...
he needed somewhere new.
A new country.
People who didn't know him.
And perhaps...
information about this world.
Hax stopped in front of the castle doors.
Mimic stood beside him.
"Your Majesty."
"What?"
Mimic smiled.
"When are we leaving?"
Hax gazed at the evening sky.
"...Tomorrow morning."
----
Taranach Empire
To the west of the Kingdom of Etravia.
Separated by a mountain range stretching from north to south.
It was said that their wealth came from the abundant iron and silver mines within their lands.
But that wealth... never reached this place.
Rain had been falling since morning.
It wasn't heavy.
But it was enough to turn the entire slum into a sea of mud.
Water flowed along the narrow streets, filling countless puddles.
The roofs, made from scrap wood and old sheets of metal, were unable to keep the rain out.
Droplets fell endlessly.
Drip...
Drip...
Drip...
The smell of wet earth mixed with the foul stench of clogged sewage.
In one corner of the street...
a young girl sat with her back against a wooden wall that was barely standing.
Her black hair was soaked, clinging to her cheeks.
Her body was thin.
Far too thin for a girl her age.
Her hands trembled.
She covered her mouth.
"Kh..."
A small cough escaped her throat.
Then...
another.
Harder this time.
"Kh... khuk..."
Her chest hurt.
But the girl didn't have the strength to complain.
She lowered her head.
In her hands...
was a piece of bread.
It no longer looked like something fit to eat.
Patches of green mold had grown across its surface.
The girl stared at it for a long time.
Her stomach growled.
Grrr...
She closed her eyes.
Then...
she took a bite.
Crack.
The bread was hard.
It tasted bitter.
The musty smell filled her mouth.
The girl nearly vomited.
But she held it back.
No.
She couldn't waste it.
Bread like this...
was still edible.
At least...
that's what she always told herself.
She took another bite.
Slowly.
Little by little.
Until finally...
the piece of bread was gone.
The girl licked the remaining crumbs from her fingers.
Then...
she hugged her knees again.
The rain continued to fall.
No one paid any attention to her.
In a place like this...
people were too busy thinking about how to survive.
The Taranach Empire.
An empire known as one of the largest and most prosperous nations on the continent.
And yet...
that prosperity had never reached this place.
On the other side of the city walls...
the nobles were probably enjoying warm banquets.
Merchants were probably counting their profits.
Knights were probably patrolling the main streets.
While here...
a piece of moldy bread was enough to make someone feel lucky.
The girl coughed again.
"Khuk..."
She wiped the corner of her mouth.
Then...
the sound of footsteps reached her.
Tap!
The girl raised her head.
Someone was running from the end of the street.
A man.
From his clothing alone, the girl could tell...
he wasn't from around here.
A long, dark coat.
Expensive leather shoes.
A gold ring on his finger.
Even in the rain and mud...
she could recognize the clothing of a nobleman.
The man ran while gasping for breath.
"Haah..."
"Haah...!"
His face was pale.
He kept glancing over his shoulder.
As if something were chasing him.
The girl stared at him.
What was happening...?
The man was about to pass her.
But then...
another sound came from behind him.
Tap.
One step.
The girl froze.
Not because the sound was loud.
But because...
it was too calm.
Amid the constant rain...
someone was walking.
Not running.
Not hurrying.
Simply walking.
The girl slowly turned her head.
And for the first time...
she saw him.
Someone dressed entirely in black.
From head to toe.
Not a single part of his body was visible.
Black cloth covered his head.
A long coat concealed his body.
Black gloves covered both hands.
Even his face...
was hidden.
The only visible features were a pair of eyes beneath the shadow of the cloth.
A sword hung at his waist.
But...
its shape was strange.
Long.
Thin.
Far slimmer than any sword the girl had ever seen.
It wasn't a knight's sword.
Nor was it the kind of blade commonly carried by city guards.
The girl held her breath.
The man in black walked past her.
He didn't look at her.
Didn't speak.
As though she didn't even exist.
Then...
his hand suddenly moved.
FWOOSH!
Something shot through the air.
The girl didn't even have time to see what he had thrown.
The object spun through the air.
WHIRR!
Then...
THUK!
It struck the nobleman's leg.
"AAAAAAAGH!"
The man collapsed into the mud.
The girl flinched.
The nobleman clutched his leg and screamed.
"Mercy!"
"Please!"
"I'll pay!"
"I'll give you anything!"
The man in black kept walking.
One step.
Two steps.
Then stopped directly in front of the nobleman.
The man looked up.
His face was filled with terror.
"Y-You..."
"I don't know who hired you!"
"If it's money, I'll give you ten times as much!"
There was no answer.
"Or..."
"Or do you want a position?"
"I have connections with noble families!"
"I can make you a knight!"
Still no answer.
Only the sound of rain.
Shaaahhh...
The girl watched them from behind her hair.
For some reason...
she couldn't look away.
The man in black slowly drew his sword.
Shiiing...
The soft sound of metal rang through the rain.
The girl's eyes widened.
The sword...
was even thinner than she had imagined.
The nobleman began to tremble.
"W-Wait..."
"Please..."
"I have a family..."
The man in black raised his sword.
There was no anger.
No hatred.
No unnecessary expression.
Only calmness.
Then...
the sword fell.
SHING!
A single slash.
Blindingly fast.
The girl didn't even see the movement.
The nobleman's body went still.
For several moments...
nothing happened.
Then his head slowly rolled through the mud.
And stopped...
right in front of the girl.
"..."
The girl's eyes widened.
She didn't scream.
Her body simply froze.
The rain continued to fall.
Blood flowed from the man's body...
mixing with the rainwater...
slipping between the stones and running down the street.
Red.
The girl stared at the head.
The face of the man who had been begging for his life only moments ago...
now showed nothing.
No life.
No voice.
No second chance.
The girl slowly raised her gaze.
The man in black was still standing there.
His sword had already returned to its sheath.
As though nothing had happened.
Then...
he reached a hand beneath his coat.
The girl instinctively backed away.
But...
what he threw wasn't a weapon.
A small pouch fell to the ground.
Plop.
Right beside the girl.
She stared at it.
Then looked at the man in black.
She didn't understand.
Her hand slowly moved.
She opened the pouch.
Clink.
The sound of metal rang out.
Coins.
A lot of them.
The girl's eyes widened.
There were...
more coins than she had ever possessed in her entire life.
She immediately looked at the man again.
"This..."
Her voice was hoarse.
The man in black didn't answer.
He simply raised his left hand.
His index finger pressed against the part of his face covered by the cloth.
Ssst.
The girl fell silent.
Don't speak.
That was what the gesture seemed to mean.
She looked at the pouch in her hand.
Then...
back at the figure.
But the man had already turned away.
His footsteps sounded once again.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Growing more distant.
The girl clutched the pouch tightly.
"...Why?"
There was no answer.
The figure in black continued walking through the rain.
Until finally...
he disappeared around a narrow alley.
The girl continued staring in the same direction.
Then...
her eyes slowly lowered toward the nobleman's corpse before her.
She looked at the pouch in her hand again.
The coins felt heavy.
Far too heavy.
She didn't know who that man was.
Didn't know why the nobleman had been killed.
Didn't know who had sent him.
And most importantly...
she didn't know why he had given her the money.
But...
after so long...
the girl finally had enough money to buy food.
Real food.
Not moldy bread.
Not scraps.
Not something she had to eat while praying it wouldn't make her sick.
The girl held the pouch tightly against her chest.
Then...
her stomach growled again.
Grrr...
She fell silent.
Then looked up at the sky.
The rain was still falling.
"...I can buy some food with this."
Her voice was so quiet...
it was almost swallowed by the rain.
And yet...
The girl ran through the rain, smiling.