I brought the Valkyrie’s hammer down on the crystal dragon’s head. Lightning coursed through its gigantic body, reducing it to ash.
The blinding flash seared my vision, and the deafening roar tore at my ears. Just the aftershock alone was enough to make me feel like I was about to pass out. Through the haze before my eyes, I caught sight of a strange figure—a blonde woman standing against the farthest wall. Her smile was gentle, yet tinged with a hint of sorrow.
“F-Freyja-sama…?”
I didn’t know why the name came to me so instinctively.
Vaguely, I remembered my dream—the same woman, encased in ice, exactly as she appeared now.
…Was she trying to tell me something?
“Uhm…”
The moment I let out a sound, my vision suddenly cleared. The light and smoke had vanished. With all my concentration poured into that single strike, those few seconds had surely stretched into what felt like much longer.
Before I realized it, the woman’s figure was gone as well.
I noticed then that I was falling.
“Wa-wa-waa!”
The world spun around me. I had jumped as high as I could to strike the dragon’s head, falling was the inevitable consequence.
T-this is bad!
Just as I closed my eyes, I felt someone catch me.
“Whoa! You alright?”
It was Mia-san. Nils-san was beside her, supporting me just the same.
Though their wounds must have hurt, they carefully lowered me to the ground.
The massive battlefield that had once been alive with chaos was now utterly silent. Pale light filtered through the large hole in the ceiling, and the distant roar of a waterfall echoed mournfully. The terrifying dragon, the summoned monster, none of them remained. Because I had been able to communicate with them, a small pang of loneliness crept in.
The scattered warrior corps, Safi, and Felix-san began to gather.
Surveying the injured around him, Felix-san rested heavily on his staff.
“We did it.”
I lowered my chin.
As I used White Flame to heal everyone’s wounds, a voice echoed in my mind.
――――
You have reached Level 27.
――――
I shivered because it had been a while since I’d last experienced such an increase.
“My level…”
“Leveled up?”
I bounced excitedly and answered Mia-san.
“Yes!”
Nils-san smiled.
“Well done. I never imagined you’d defeat a dragon of that magnitude…”
He raised both hands in a mock surrender. Shaking his head, his blonde hair swayed.
“I’m at a loss for words. Rion, you all make an incredible party.”
“Hey now, aren’t you part of the party too?”
Mia-san laughed and gave Nils-san a sharp pat on the back.
….That for sure stings a little.
Nils-san stumbled but then broke into a broad grin. His smile was so genuine and unguarded it, a look I have not seen on him before.
“Right.”
Felix-san cleared his throat.
“Now, everyone. This is undoubtedly a great victory, but we must remember our purpose. The people imprisoned as slaves have been rescued, and the obstacles in our way were removed.”
The ashes that stirred the monsters, the dragon that had disturbed the currents—both were defeated. Rescuing the masses is important but the secrets slumbering within the Flocia Dungeon remain.
Having reached the 13th floor, there is no ignoring them.
『The time has finally come.』
The voice of Sigris, the God of Medicine, trembled from the gold coin.
All eyes turned toward me.
“This way.”
I nodded and started walking straight ahead.
The unexplored area of the Flocia Dungeon was definitely there—at the wall where I had glimpsed the goddess’s apparition.
We crossed the vast chamber.
Then I came to a stop before a stone slab embedded in the wall. A single monolith, the size of a castle gate, seemed to float amid the jagged natural rock. Through the gaps between the supporter’s legs, the dwarf blacksmith Safi poked her head out.
“It’s an artificial wall. I can sense magical runes etched into it. There’s no sign that it’s ever been opened.”
It was, without a doubt, a true unexplored area.
The gods were surely watching over us through the gold coins.
I pressed both hands flat against the wall. It was cool to the touch. A shiver ran up my neck.
“Wake up!”
Golden light scattered, and the rock face shimmered. The stone shifted slightly, as if stirring of its own will. A gap opened somewhere, and a frigid wind swept through.
“Wha…!”
Cold. Bitter, piercing cold. It was the kind of freezing air that seemed to speak of the strength of the seal ahead—enough to make my lungs feel as if they would freeze.
『Let me help you. It’s dangerous with your wet bodies.』
A warmth, like sunlight, enveloped us.
“Thank you, Solana.”
I pressed both hands to the wall once more.
“Wake up!”
This time, the wall shattered. The fragments crumbled and vanished inward, as if inviting us to enter. A blizzard-like wind swept through, freezing the surrounding water. Yet thanks to Solana’s protection, it no longer felt bitterly cold.
We stepped inside.
“So beautiful…”
Safi whispered.
The place resembled the night sky. Though darkness enveloped everything, each shard of ice around us glimmered like a star. Thanks to their light, we could move without fear of getting lost.
We walked toward the deepest part, where a magnificent ice pillar stood.
Within it, a beautiful woman was sealed, frozen in place, her right hand outstretched as if offering something.
『…It’s Freyja.』
Solana murmured.
『No doubt about it. She’s been waiting to be awakened.』
As if in response, the alarm horn, Gjallarhorn, vibrated.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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