Sword Saint Story: Starting from Zero Attack Power ~After being abandoned by my childhood friend, the princess, I enrolls in a magic school and ends up making a contract with the Demon Lord~ Volume 1 Chapter 5

 Chapter 5: Eugene and Sumire move forward

I borrowed the power of Sumire, a flame Ifrit, to defeat the floor master of the tenth floor.

“Thank you! Thank you so much… With this, our kingdom is saved… sob…”

“I’m glad we could defeat it safely,” I said.

The captain of the Tormore Kingdom’s exploration team was crumbling into tears. This guy’s emotions are really something else.

At the Imperial Military Academy, they drilled into us: “Separate your emotions from your actions.”

As someone who’s always tried to live by that principle, crying in front of others like this is unthinkable. Besides, my old man always had this saying: “A man’s tears aren’t for public display!”

He’s full of that kind of old-school mentality, my dad.

This scene is probably being broadcast to all sorts of people through the satellite system relay device, too.

“Eugene-san, Sumire-san, we’ll never forget this debt. For rescuing us from the floor master and aiding in its defeat, we’ll ensure the ‘reward money’ is paid. Here’s the memorandum from the goddess.”

“Understood,” I replied.

Compared to the captain, the vice-captain was calm as she handed me a signed document. The paper bore the emblem of the goddess of justice, Altena-sama—a magical contract. They say breaking its terms brings down ‘divine punishment.’ 

That said, given their attitude, it doesn’t seem like we need to worry about them skipping out on payment.

“Hey, hey, Eugene-kun! There’s a treasure chest over there!” 

“Huh?”

Sumire pointed to a spot where a brown treasure chest sat.

That’s…

“It dropped a treasure, huh.”

A rare treasure sometimes appears after defeating a floor master boss. It’s my first time experiencing this, so I eagerly checked inside. What came out was a massive, dull-colored lump of metal.

“What… is this?” Sumire tilted her head.

“Hmm, I think it’s magical metal, but I’m no expert, so I’m not sure…”

It would’ve been nice if it was something obvious like a magical weapon or gemstones. Guess this is about what you’d expect from the tenth floor.

It looks heavy, and there’s no way the two of us could carry it, so I’ll pass on this one.

“Well then, Sumire, shall we head back to the academy?”

“Huh? We’re not going to check out the eleventh floor?”

“You want to keep going?”

“Watching you fight made me want to see what’s further ahead!”

This girl’s got some serious enthusiasm.

“You’re not tired?”

“I haven’t even fought a single monster yet, so…”

“Hm…”

Now that she mentions it, that’s true. For the past week, I’ve been drilling her on how to handle encounters with monsters, but in the end, I was the only one who fought. It’s her first exploration—might as well let her get some real experience.

“Alright, let’s take a quick look at the eleventh floor. Just a peek, okay?”

“Yay!”

“Y-you’re heading to the eleventh floor now?” 

As I stepped toward the stairs, the vice-captain hurriedly called out.

“Yeah, that’s the plan,” I said.

“What about this treasure? And there’s the floor master’s materials, too. If we harvest them, they’d fetch a decent price…”

“You can have both,” I said.

“R-really!?”

“Go right ahead.”

More loot just means more to carry, and we’re already getting reward money, so we’re in the black. 

(More importantly, the real reward is knowing I can take on a floor master…)

Of course, that’s only under the special condition of borrowing the mana of Ifrit, the flame divine-human. Still, what I gained here is huge. If anything, I’m the one who owes them gratitude.

The floor master’s materials and some cumbersome magical metal? I don’t mind parting with those at all. Consider it my thanks.

“Truly, from start to finish… How can we ever repay you?” 

Even the vice-captain started tearing up. Guess she’d just been holding it in this whole time.

Are all the people from Tormore Kingdom this emotional?

“Oh,” I said, suddenly remembering something I’d borrowed. 

“Here’s your sword back. Thanks for letting me use it.”

“Eugene-san, if you need it for exploring, you can keep it…”

“Really?”

“Of course! You defeated the floor master and even gave us the treasure and materials! It’s the least we can offer…”

“Thanks. I’ll take good care of it.”

I didn’t hesitate to accept. It’s a memento of defeating the tenth floor’s master.

I sheathed the sword at my waist, feeling its familiar weight.

“Well then, everyone, take care.”

“Bye-bye, old-timers! Stay safe!” 

Sumire and I bid farewell to the Tormore Kingdom’s exploration team.

“Thank you! Thank you! We’ll never forget this kindness!”

“If you ever visit the Blue Sea Federation, please stop by Tormore Kingdom!”

“Eugene-san, Sumire-san, please stay safe!”

“Sob—Thank youuu!” 

The captain was still crying. He’s not as bad a guy as my first impression suggested.

The other team members saw us off with loud cheers and waves. It was a bit embarrassing.

“Hey, Eugene-kun, doing good deeds feels pretty great, doesn’t it?” 

Sumire grinned and clung to my arm. I felt a little shy but then reconsidered.

“Showing too much kindness isn’t exactly ideal for an explorer,” I said.

“Really?”

“Yeah, being too nice can make you a target.”

The academy teaches us to be more calculating. 

“But, yeah, it does feel kinda good,” I admitted.

“Right?!” 

Well, it’s just the tenth floor—probably no one’s paying much attention. No big deal.

We stepped into the eleventh floor.

◇

Last Dungeon “Tower of Zenith” Eleventh Floor—Jungle Area

Trees taller than us loomed overhead.

“So this is the eleventh floor… gulp,” Sumire said beside me.

Saying “gulp” out loud like that means she’s still got plenty of composure.

“It’s dense with trees here. Visibility’s worse than the first nine floors, so stay sharp.”

That said, it’s my first time here too. My knowledge comes purely from what I’ve seen through the satellite system.

—Rustle

—Kye-kye-kye-kye-kye

—Kuruu, kuruu

The sound of shaking bushes and eerie cries echoed from a distance.

The eleventh floor is where more dangerous monsters start appearing. The atmosphere alone screams it. Sumire gripped my arm tightly.

I pulled her close, ready to cast a barrier spell at a moment’s notice.

Now, what kind of monster’s gonna show up?

“…”

“…”

We waited for a bit.

“…No monsters, huh,” Sumire said.

“Yeah…”

We’d been tensed up for nothing, just standing there clinging to each other in the middle of the dungeon.

“Wanna poke around a bit?” I suggested.

“Sure!”

Sumire’s tension eased, and she started looking around curiously. Maybe I got too worked up since it’s a new floor? No, you can never be too cautious in a dungeon.

“Hey, Eugene-kun,” Sumire said.

“Yeah?”

“When you took down that floor master with your magic sword, it was amazing!”

“Thanks. I’ve been training with my dad since I was a kid, so…”

“Wow! By the way, why does it have to be a magic sword? Couldn’t you just cut stuff normally without using my mana?”

“Oh, that’s…”

It’s a common question from people who don’t use swords.

But no, a regular sword won’t cut it. Literally.

“You’ve never cut a monster with a sword, right, Sumire?”

“N-nope! I’ve never cut anything!”

She shook her head vigorously at my question.

I’d heard this before, but the world Sumire came from had no monsters, no swords, no magic.

“Here’s the thing about swords,” I explained. “Once you use them, they dull fast. Cutting a monster’s bones damages the blade. Slicing undead corrodes the metal. Goblins and orcs sometimes carry weapons, too, and clashing with them wrecks the edge. It just keeps getting harder to cut.”

“Ohh, I see… That makes sense.”

“Exploring, especially in the Tower of Zenith, can be a long haul. On lower floors like the eleventh, it’s rare, but higher up, you might face a ‘stampede’—a hundred monsters rushing you at once. A sword without magical enhancement is useless in that kind of fight.”

“Got it… So, don’t they sell swords that are already enchanted?”

Sumire’s questions kept coming.

“They do. There are legendary magic swords or holy swords with ‘permanent enchantments.’”

“Did you ever think about using one of those?”

“Well… about that…”

My dad’s a swordsman of some renown in the Empire and owns a few magic weapons. When it became clear my ability was limited to white mana, he let me try one of his favorite magic swords…

It was worth three million gold on the market. But my white mana wrecked its ‘permanent enchantment,’ turning it into junk.

I’ll never forget the look of sadness on his face.

“It’s fine, Eugene…” he said, but still.

After that, I gave up on seeking out magic or holy swords. Even a three-million-gold sword couldn’t handle my white mana. Every ‘permanently enchanted’ sword is insanely expensive.

As a mere student, I can’t afford to keep breaking stuff like that.

“Wow, that happened…? But why’s it fine with my mana?”

“Probably because it’s the mana of Ifrit, the flame divine-human. It’s special, I bet.”

“R-really? My mana’s special…?”

Sumire stared at her palms with a curious expression.

I watched her fondly while forming a hypothesis. Honestly, I suspect what Sumire’s wielding isn’t just mana but something closer to ether. 

Mana comes from refining magical essence in the air, which we use to cast spells. Ether is a step above—a power said to be used mainly by angels in the heavens. It wouldn’t be surprising if an Ifrit like Sumire could wield it.

Above ether is anima, the power of gods, but that’s probably not it. Only gods wield anima, or so they say. Either way, after a week with her, I’ve concluded Sumire’s mana is different from a normal human’s.

I’m no expert, so I can’t say for sure.

(Maybe I’ll ask the academy headmaster next time.)

He’d probably be thrilled to explain. The issue is whether that busy headmaster has time to spare. As I mulled this over—

“Gya! Gya!”

A small, green-skinned humanoid monster appeared.

“Sumire, it’s a goblin!”

“That’s it!?”

The goblin held a rusty hatchet. Up to the ninth floor, we only saw beasts, but from the eleventh floor, monsters get smarter, wielding weapons and attacking in groups.

We need to be cautious. I stepped in front of Sumire to shield her.

“Gya! Gya! Gya!”

The goblin bared its teeth, shrieking to intimidate us.

(…Goblins hunt in packs. If you see one, assume there’s ten.)

Dungeon exploration 101. Instead of attacking right away, I stayed alert for others.

The goblin kept up its threats but didn’t charge.

“…Eugene-kun?” Sumire whispered.

“Stay sharp, Sumire.”

“Okay.”

Then—

Rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle…

As expected, five more goblins emerged from the bushes.

Fewer than I thought. They must’ve been waiting for us to separate. Since we didn’t, they got impatient and showed themselves.

I switched places with Sumire, facing the five goblins head-on.

I’d leave the lone one behind us to her.

“Sumire, I’m borrowing a bit of your red mana. I’ll handle them, so focus on protecting yourself from any attacks!”

“Got it!”

I grabbed her hand.

—Mana Link

Her mana flowed into me.

“Magic Sword: Flame Blade!”

My sword glowed red. Alright, this’ll cut through goblins!

“Hehe, it’s finally my dungeon battle debut! I’ll block—super block!”

Sumire got pumped, raising the academy-issued shield.

Her ‘red mana’ surged in response to her emotions.

The air trembled, and the ground shook.

(Huh?)

Her shield started glowing red.

…Zzt. The ground was burning.

Wait, there’s a pattern in the scorched earth… Is that a magic circle? Sumire’s only learned basic spells—she shouldn’t be able to handle complex magic circles…

“Come at me!!!”

With her shout, a massive pillar of fire erupted from her body.

“What!?”

What the heck!?

“Hm?”

Sumire didn’t even notice what she’d done. The next moment, the fire pillar burst outward, triggering an explosion.

(This… Is this the advanced fire spell Firestorm!?)

And its power was unreal—on par with a court mage.

“Gaaaahhh!!!”

The goblins’ death cries echoed around us.

“W-what? Huh!?”

Sumire finally noticed the inferno spreading from her. By the time the flames died down, the goblins were nothing but charcoal.

“…”

“…”

An awkward silence fell.

“W-what did I do!?” Sumire shouted.

(I’d like to know that myself…)

It seems when Sumire gets too emotional, advanced spells just… happen.

Come to think of it, when we met, she unconsciously turned the fifth floor into a sea of fire… Crap.

I thought I was starting to understand her, but I’m nowhere close. She’s full of surprises, but there’s one silver lining.

“At least your clothes are fine,” I said.

“Huh?… Oh! This is fire-resistant explorer gear, right?”

“We spared no expense on reincarnator equipment. Only the best.”

It’s already proving its worth. Losing her clothes here would’ve been a disaster.

“E-Eugene-kun, are you okay? No burns or…?”

“I’m fine. I’ve got a barrier spell up at all times.”

I’ve blocked her flames before. If anyone else was with us, though, that could’ve been bad.

Doesn’t that mean only a select few could party with Sumire?

“…”

“…”

We locked eyes. My magic sword flickered red, as if unsure of its purpose.

I dispelled the flame blade, and the sword returned to silver.

“Congrats on your first dungeon monster kill,” I said.

“…Y-yeah.”

My words felt hollow. Sumire’s expression was hard to read.

Just to be safe, I checked to make sure her firestorm hadn’t started a blaze on the eleventh floor. Since the spell was brief, it seemed fine.

“Let’s go,” I said.

“Okay…”

We pressed deeper into the dungeon. After that, we ran into more goblins and kobolds, but handled them without issue.

Eventually, we found the stairs to the twelfth floor.

(…This is probably far enough.)

I suggested we head back, and Sumire agreed.

Our first dungeon exploration was a huge success. No need to push further.

Instead of climbing to the twelfth floor, we headed for the dungeon elevator.

We moved cautiously through the jungle area. The elevator’s easy to spot—it sticks out like a giant pillar.

Its vicinity is warded against monsters, making it a safe zone—and the most likely place to run into other explorers.

The elevator doors came into view.

(Hm?)

Ahead, I spotted a group of nearly twenty explorers. Their uniforms bore the crest of Lykeion Magic Academy. Fellow students.

They’d set up tents and were cooking over a campfire.

Looks like they’re camping here for the night. A few noticed us and glanced our way. Sumire and I gave a quick nod and started to pass by.

That’s when it happened.

“Hey! You’re academy students, right? Yo!” 

A female student from the camp approached us.

◇

◇Sumire’s Perspective◇

“Hi. You’re Eugene-san from the biology club, right?”

The girl addressing Eugene-kun was tall and slender, with light steps and sharp, catlike eyes that left a striking impression.

“I’m Leona Bianchi from the martial arts club. Nice to meet you.”

“First time meeting. I’m Eugene Santafield. How’d you know my name?”

“No one at the academy doesn’t know Eugene-san, the headmaster’s favorite,” Leona-san said with a chuckle.

“And you, next to him—you’re the girl from another world, right?”

“Y-yes! I’m Sumire Sashiogi! Nice to meet you!”

I hurriedly bowed.

I thought only Eugene-kun was known, but apparently people know about me too…

“Are you two heading back already?”

“Yeah, we’re wrapping up our exploration,” Eugene-kun said.

“How about joining us for dinner, then?”

Leona-san extended an invitation.

“Hm… What do you think?” Eugene-kun asked, glancing at me.

Now that she mentioned it, I suddenly felt hungry. And something smelled amazing.

“I’m in!” I said.

It’s a rare invite, and who knows—maybe I’ll make a friend. Leona-san seems super easy to talk to.

“Alright, we’ll take you up on that. Uh, how much for—”

“Haha, we always make too much and end up with leftovers. No charge! Don’t worry about it.”

When Eugene-kun brought up payment, Leona-san laughed brightly. She’s so friendly.

“This way, come on!”

Leona-san led us to some seats.

Well, “seats” is generous—just a leisure sheet spread on the ground. Someone cooking at a big pot handed Eugene-kun and me some bread and a rich-looking soup.

A spicy, tantalizing aroma hit my nose. It felt… familiar.

“Go ahead, dig in,” Leona-san urged.

“I-I’ll eat!”

I cautiously scooped up some soup and brought it to my mouth.

“!?”

This taste—it’s exactly what I thought!

“Delicious,” Eugene-kun said.

“Right? There’s plenty, so have seconds!” 

As Eugene-kun and Leona-san talked, I shoveled the soup down with focus.

“Phew…”

I finished and let out a breath.

“Wow, Sumire-chan, you eat fast!” Leona-san said, eyes wide.

There was something I had to ask.

“Um… What’s this soup called?”

“Oh, it’s a dish called ‘curry’—oh, wait, I get it.”

“Yeah… It’s a dish from my world too…”

I almost teared up from nostalgia. It’s been so long since I had something from my old world.

Leona-san explained that curry was spread here by another world’s reincarnator long ago.

…Right. I’m not the only one who’s crossed worlds. Someone else came before me.

And they brought curry… I wonder what country they were from?

“Have some more,” Leona-san said.

“Y-yes…”

Now that I think about it, I probably looked a bit unladylike scarfing it down in front of Eugene-kun.

We ate with Leona-san and swapped stories about our dungeon explorations. When it was about time to leave—

“Hey, why don’t you join our camp?” Leona-san suggested with a smile.

“Is that okay? Bringing in outsiders mid-dungeon run?” Eugene-kun asked, puzzled.

According to him, other explorer teams are usually rivals, so they don’t mingle much.

“We’re the ‘third string,’ here to let new members gain experience on lower floors. The ‘first string’ aiming for the 200th floor—they’re the intense ones,” Leona-san said with a shrug.

First string, third string… Like starters and reserves? Sounds like a sports team.

“Oh, got it. Sumire, what do you think?”

“I’d love to keep talking!”

“Alright, we’ll join you then.”

“Yay! Let me introduce the others. Actually, tons of people want to chat with Sumire-san, the otherworlder!”

With that, Leona-san dashed off to fetch others. While she was gone, Eugene-kun gave me a quick rundown on the martial arts club.

Apparently, it’s one of the academy’s biggest factions, full of individualistic types honing their skills. They’re quirky but approachable. Yeah, Leona-san definitely feels easy to talk to.

He also mentioned other big clubs. The swordsmanship club is the academy’s top combat group and the strongest dungeon exploration team. There are magic clubs too, but they’re split by element and often feud among themselves.

“I bet the fire magic research club will try to recruit you,” Eugene-kun predicted, since I’m an Ifrit.

Hmm, what would I do if they asked? I don’t want to get caught up in faction drama.

Oh, and the student council executive committee is apparently super elitist. That reminds me—I recall some nasty student council types bothering Eugene-kun the other day.

Soon, Leona-san returned with a few junior martial arts club members, and we chatted.

When I talked about my world, they listened with awe.

…I don’t think I said anything that interesting.

To them, just talking to an otherworlder is a big deal. After lots of chatting, Leona-san invited me to bathe.

Eugene-kun got roped into training with some martial arts club guys.

◇

“Phew, that was refreshing!”

“Fufu, how was it? The martial arts club’s pride and joy—our magical open-air bath!” 

Yes! They had a full-on open-air bath set up!

This world is something else.

“That’s an amazing magic item. Is it club equipment too?”

“Yup! It was super expensive, but we bought it with money we earned from dungeon runs. Baths are important, right?”

“Totally!”

Leona-san and I returned to where Eugene-kun was, steam still rising from our bodies after the bath.

Eugene-kun was training with the male students from the martial arts club. The martial arts club members were barehanded, while Eugene-kun held a wooden sword.

At a glance, it looked like Eugene-kun had the advantage.

In fact, he seemed to be handling the martial arts club guys with ease.

“Man, your swordwork’s insane. I heard you’re from the Empire, but what school is that?” one of them asked.

“It’s called Enmei-ryu, a school from the eastern continent. My dad’s from there,” Eugene-kun replied.

“Whoa! A sword style from another continent!”

“There’s no one in the swordsmanship club using eastern styles, right? This is great practice.”

“Alright, let’s go again!”

“I’m fine with it, but… is it okay for me to keep using a sword?” Eugene-kun asked.

“Nah, it’s perfect! It’s good prep for our match against the swordsmanship club!”

“We’re gonna beat them this time, right, guys?!”

“““““Hell yeah!”””””

It seems the martial arts club members were thrilled to train with a swordsman like Eugene-kun. They were really getting fired up.

I heard they’d spent the whole day exploring the dungeon, but everyone’s stamina is unreal. After that, Eugene-kun and the guys went to wash off their sweat at a nearby waterfall, where there’s apparently a small spring. Isn’t it cold?

I stayed behind, chatting with Leona-san and the other girls until Eugene-kun came back.

“Welcome back, Eugene-kun!” I called, waving.

“Thanks for waiting, Sumire,” he said.

By the way, it was getting dark around us.

Apparently, the dungeon shifts into ‘night’ mode.

I was shocked—“A night cycle inside a building?!”—but since we’re in the Tower of Zenith, a dungeon created by the gods, I guess normal logic doesn’t apply.

The dungeon has its own ecosystem, with monsters living their lives. So, just like outside, there’s day and night. With the dark nighttime scenery, I started feeling sleepy.

“By the way, where are you two sleeping tonight? Eugene-san, you could join the guys’ tent. Sumire-san, how about staying with us?” Leona-san suggested.

I was about to nod, since that sounded fine, when—

“Nah, I’ve got my own tent, so I’ll sleep there,” Eugene-kun said.

“Huh?! Eugene-kun, you brought a tent? Weren’t we planning to head back today?” I asked.

“I always carry one when I’m dungeon exploring. Sometimes you get stuck waiting half a day for the dungeon elevator,” he explained.

Turns out, Eugene-kun was prepared to stay overnight.

“Hey, hey, show me the tent!” I said.

“Sure.”

Eugene-kun pulled the tent out of his exploration bag. It was a magic item—compact at first, but it expanded in no time. It looked sturdy, big enough for about four people.

“Wow, that’s an Autumn Peak product, right? So cool!” Leona-san said, eyeing it enviously.

Guess there are famous camping gear brands even in this world.

“So, yeah, I’ll sleep here, no worries. Sumire, you can stay with Leona—”

“Hey, Eugene-kun, how many people does this tent fit?”

“Hm? Four, I think.”

“Then I’ll sleep here too. I don’t want to impose on Leona-san’s group.”

““Huh?!””

Eugene-kun and Leona-san let out surprised gasps at my words.

I didn’t say anything weird, right? Eugene-kun and I are in the same party, so it makes sense to stick together.

“Is that okay, Eugene-kun?”

“W-Well… if you’re fine with it, Sumire…”

“Ohh, so you two are like that… Haha, sorry for intruding!” Leona-san said, her face turning red as she hurried off.

Huh? What’s up with her?

“W-Well, let’s get some sleep, Sumire,” Eugene-kun said.

“Okay!”

Eugene-kun was acting odd. He’s usually so calm, but he seemed… flustered.

(…Wait a sec.)

It finally hit me. The reason Leona-san’s face went red.

Sleeping in the same tent… now that I think about it…

Oh no—what did I say?!

◇

◇Eugene’s Perspective◇

(…I can’t calm down.)

She’s so close I could touch her. Sumire was lying under a thin blanket, right next to me.

With her looks, she could pass for a princess from some kingdom—a stunningly beautiful girl.

Fresh from the bath, Sumire seemed even more alluring than usual.

She hadn’t brought sleepwear, so she’d borrowed some from a martial arts club girl. The thin shirt clung to her, accentuating her figure.

(Oh my, gonna make a move? Even with me around?) 

For some reason, the demon lord Ellie’s voice echoed in my head. Damn that fallen angel!

Popping up in my stray thoughts like that. I shook my head to clear out the impure ideas.

“…Eugene-kun,” Sumire said suddenly.

“W-What…?” 

My voice cracked. I tried to steady my racing heart, waiting for her words.

“Do you have any siblings?”

A question about my family.

“Nah, I’m an only child.”

“Oh, cool. I had a younger sister… in my past life, I mean.”

“Really?”

“But I don’t remember much about her… or my friends, for that matter.”

Sumire doesn’t have family now. Or many friends.

She was chatting with the martial arts club girls earlier, but maybe being alone made her feel lonely.

“I’d love to hear about your childhood, Eugene-kun,” she said.

“Mine? If you want to hear it, I’ll tell you…”

Sumire said she wanted to hear others’ stories since her own memories were fuzzy.

Fair enough. I started talking about myself.

“I was born on the eastern continent,” I said.

“What?! So not this continent?”

“Yeah, but I came here before I was old enough to remember, so I don’t recall much about it.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It’s a long story…”

I told Sumire everything.

My grandfather and dad were swordsmen serving a small nation on the eastern continent for generations. When my dad was eighteen, he married my mom. But she died soon after giving birth to me.

The eastern continent’s been locked in endless wars between its many nations. The country our family served was wiped out in a major conflict. Most of our family, including my grandfather, scattered or perished.

My dad and I fled to the southern continent.

My earliest memories are from after we arrived here. My dad wandered the southern continent, taking odd jobs to raise me. One day, he saved the then-crown prince—now the emperor—from a dragon attack, using just a single sword.

Impressed by his skill, the crown prince hired him as a personal guard on the spot. I don’t know the exact amount, but apparently, it was about a hundred times what he’d earned as a mercenary. So, my dad became an imperial retainer and settled in the Empire. Now he’s known as the ‘Imperial Sword,’ the emperor’s right hand.

By the way, he’s still single. Never remarried.

He’s had hundreds of marriage proposals, even one from the emperor himself, but he turned them all down.

“Why don’t you remarry?” I asked him once.

“Because I’ve got your mom,” was all he said.

I haven’t brought it up since. After he started serving the emperor, I enrolled in the Imperial Military Academy’s boarding school.

That’s where I met my childhood friend, Airi.

—Airi Areus Glenflare, the Empire’s seventh princess.

When we first met, she was a pretty cheeky kid.

“Hey! I hear you’re good with a sword! Fight me!” she demanded.

She was the top swordsmanship student in our year, and she challenged me.

“Fine by me,” I said.

I’d been trained by my dad since I was four, but it was my first time fighting someone my age. I ended up wiping the floor with her.

“No way… Not even one hit…?” 

I still remember how guilty I felt, seeing the teary-eyed princess.

“Your Highness Airi, it’s been twenty rounds. Wanna call it quits?”

“One more! This is the last one!”

That day, we went fifty rounds until she could barely move.

—From the next day on:

“Eugy! Let’s fight! Today’s the day I win!”

“Again…? I’ve got to study for the tactics exam…”

“I’ll teach you that! Just fight me!”

“Alright, alright.”

Every day, Airi challenged me. When I taught her Enmei-ryu techniques, she soaked them up and got better fast. In return, she tutored me in academics—she’d had elite education since she was little.

I could barely read and write back then, but thanks to her, I kept up with the academy’s advanced classes.

Airi and I were always neck-and-neck, fighting for the top spot in our year.

(…Those were good times.)

I got a bit nostalgic. Talking about Airi always stirs something in me.

But being able to share these memories with Sumire means I’ve moved past it, I guess.

Then came the Imperial Military Academy’s ‘selection exam.’

I couldn’t become a magic swordsman like my dad.

I told Sumire how I ended up studying abroad at Lykeion Magic Academy.

“…So that’s the deal. If I graduate from Lykeion, I won’t have trouble finding work back in the Empire. Or, if I like it here, my dad says I can stay in the dungeon city,” I finished.

It turned into a long story. Did I tell it well? I glanced at Sumire.

“…”

She was staring at me intently.

“Something wrong?”

“I can’t forgive her! That Airi girl, saying something like that when you were hurting!”

She seemed pissed about Airi.

“It’s fine. She’s a princess. Someone like me, with ‘no ability,’ can’t stay by her side given her position.”

“But still! It’s not fair!”

Sumire’s a good kid. She wears her emotions on her sleeve, so different from me, always keeping mine in check.

I watched her fondly, but then she gave me a look, like she had something to say.

“Sumire?”

“Hey, Eugene-kun. You said breaking the record for the highest floor reached in the Last Dungeon is a huge honor, right?”

“Yeah, it’s the ultimate goal for every explorer in the southern continent.”

“Don’t you think you could set an amazing record? I mean, you took down the tenth floor’s boss all by yourself today.”

“Well, not exactly by myself… It was thanks to borrowing your mana, Sumire.”

It wasn’t just my strength.

“But I’m your ward, right? If we explore together, fifty floors, even a hundred, isn’t that possible?!”

“Fifty floors might be worth aiming for. But a hundred? No way.”

“Why not?”

“The hundredth floor’s boss is special. It’s on a whole different level from the monsters up to the ninety-ninth.”

“Hmm… Really?”

Sumire furrowed her brow at my explanation. I’ll have to explain more about that later.

It’s true—I cleared the tenth floor. Until now, I’d been a D-rank explorer, never challenging a floor master. But defeating one bumps you up to C-rank. Aiming higher might not be a bad idea.

A hundred floors, though? That’s a long way off.

“Got a bit long-winded there. Let’s sleep, Sumire.”

“…Okay.”

Sumire quieted down. I closed my eyes.

Silence settled over the tent. But then Sumire spoke again.

“Hey, Eugene-kun.”

“What?”

“I’m thinking about joining the same club as you.”

“The biology club?”

“Yeah.”

“…Cool.”

“You against it?”

“Not at all.”

Part of me feels like Sumire, a reincarnator, might fit better somewhere else. But if she wants to join, I’ve got no reason to object. One thing does bug me, though…

(I’ll have to introduce her to those guys…)

The biology club’s tiny—just five members, including me.

But every single one of them is… eccentric, to put it nicely.

I just hope Sumire doesn’t get freaked out.

“Alright, it’s settled! Goodnight!” 

With that, Sumire rolled over and started snoring softly.

I closed my eyes, letting my consciousness drift into sleep.

I must’ve been more tired than I thought—I was out like a light.

◇

“Morning! Rise and shine!!” 

As I was packing up in the morning, a loud clang-clang-clang! rang out.

I looked over to see Leona-san banging a ladle against a pot.

“Hey, Sumire, get up!” I called.

“Mmm… Five more minutes…” 

Sumire was groggy. Guess she’s not a morning person. After a few tries, I got her up.

Seeing a girl’s sleeping face feels a bit embarrassing.

We had a quick breakfast of portable rations in the tent when Leona-san came by.

“Hey, Eugene-san, you heading back today?” she asked.

I glanced at Sumire.

“I’m cool either way,” I said.

“I kinda want to keep hanging out with Leona-san and the others,” Sumire said.

“Me too! Let’s go exploring together!” Leona-san chimed in.

Sumire’s words sealed it—we’d explore with the martial arts club. They’re so friendly. I quickly packed up the tent.

“Let’s move out!” 

With Leona-san’s call, we set off. The journey was… shockingly smooth.

“Orcs up ahead!” 

“Hell yeah!” “Surround ‘em!” “Too slow!” “Weak attacks, huh?” 

“Pugyaaaahhh!” 

Whenever monsters appeared, the pumped-up martial arts club members took them down in no time.

(Are these guys really the third string…?)

I was stunned by the club’s depth.

“Sumire, a straight punch is like this,” Leona-san coached.

“L-Like this?” 

“Yup, that’s it! Nice. And a kick’s like this.”

“Oh, I see!” 

Along the way, Sumire was learning martial arts from Leona-san.

“You’ve got talent, Sumire-chan. How about joining the martial arts club?” 

She’s already getting recruited. As expected of an otherworlder—super popular.

“B-But I’m planning to join the same club as Eugene-kun…”

“The biology club? You can do both, you know! Think it over!” 

“O-Okay, I’ll consider it.”

Personally, I think the bigger martial arts club might suit her better than our niche biology club. But it’s her call. I didn’t say anything.

“Eugene-san! Someone’s hurt!” 

“Got it—Heal.” 

I used recovery magic to patch up martial arts club members injured in battle. No one had serious wounds—just minor cuts or bruises.

“Wow! I’ve never seen a healer fix injuries this fast!” 

“Eugene-san’s got skills! Wanna be our exclusive healer?” 

“No way—he’s the biology club’s vice-captain!” 

“I know, I know, Captain Leona.” 

Before I knew it, I was getting recruited too. Exploring with a big group like this was a first for me.

And being relied on felt… nice.

(Not bad at all.)

I owe Sumire for deciding to tag along with them.

—The exploration kept going smoothly.

We breezed through the eleventh floor, cleared the twelfth without issue, and took a lunch break on the thirteenth. On the fourteenth, a kobold pack startled us a bit, but we fended them off.

One of them was an elite kobold, and it went straight for Sumire.

“Eek!” 

As Sumire screamed, a Firestorm erupted.

The elite kobold turned to ash. Tough luck for it.

“““““…”””””

The martial arts club members, who I’d repeatedly warned to keep their distance from Sumire, were speechless. Phew… that was close.

Of course, I blocked Sumire’s flames with a barrier. Leona-san, the captain, looked like she’d seen a ghost.

We had that little hiccup, but we made it to the fifteenth floor.

“Alright, let’s camp here for the day!” Leona-san announced.

Tonight’s camp dinner was meat and veggies grilled on a metal plate.

“Yay, BBQ!” Sumire cheered.

(Bee-bee-cue…?) 

It was an unfamiliar term, probably another dish from her world.

I’d never cooked like this on solo runs. It was simple, but crazy delicious.

By the way, they didn’t charge us for food again—my healing magic covered it, apparently.

I barely healed anything major, so I felt a bit guilty.

“Sumire-chaaan! Bath time!” 

“Let’s go, let’s go♪” 

“Your skin’s so pretty, Sumire-chan!” 

“How do you take care of it?” 

Sumire was totally hitting it off with the martial arts club girls. Wait, we’re camping together again tonight…? Two nights in the dungeon on her first exploration. Sumire’s got the makings of a big-shot explorer. I started setting up the tent.

(Is Sumire planning to sleep in my tent again…?)

The thought made me antsy. A young guy and girl in a cramped tent… doesn’t seem like the best idea… Hmm. As I mulled it over, someone approached.

“Eugene-san, great work today,” Leona-san said.

“Thanks for letting us join two days in a row. Sorry for imposing.”

“What’re you talking about? Your healing’s saving us tons of potions. We’re the ones who owe you.”

Leona-san smiled brightly and stepped closer. Then she narrowed her eyes and whispered in my ear, like it was a secret.

“I heard from someone who joined us today…”

“What?”

“Is it true you took down the tenth floor’s boss all by yourself?”

“…Yeah, technically,” I admitted.

No point hiding it. The satellite system probably broadcasted it to someone.

Leona-san’s eyes went wide.

“That’s nuts! No wonder you’re the headmaster’s favorite!”

“It was mostly luck. I only pulled it off because I could borrow Sumire’s mana—the flame divine-human.”

“Still, that’s not something just anyone can do! Which brings me to a request…”

Her tone turned serious. Guess this was the real topic.

“For this expedition… could you stick with us till the end? The thing is, we can’t swing the budget for a formal joint team, so it’d just be our two groups moving together, like now…”

She bowed slightly, looking apologetic. Not an official request for help like the tenth floor, but a personal favor. Honestly, the martial arts club’s been a huge help with exploration and food.

I’d been feeling bad about not paying them back.

“Sure. I’ll check with Sumire, but I’m in.”

“Really?! Yes!!” 

Leona-san threw her hands up in excitement.

Sumire’s getting along great with the girls, so she’ll probably be fine with it.

“By the way,” I said, curious about something.

“What’s your target floor?”

I asked Leona-san, though I had a guess. With their skills, probably…

“We’re aiming to take down the twentieth floor’s boss,” she said.

Exactly what I expected.

——.