hotmtlnovel Book 4: Prologue
Book 4: Prologue
Book 4: Prologue
Part 1 Vagabond Arc Ash Crowned Princess of Slaughter IV
Second Part
Prologue
Dungeon. It was a living structure where an ancient hermit crab that turned into a monster fused with a cave or ruins and used it as their shell.
The monster hermit crab evolved repeatedly in order to absorb mana and life force from the living things that wandered into them. They even scanned the residual thought of those that died inside them in order to better lure human and monster, the two living things that they considered as their best food. That was how dungeon ended up producing things that those two species sought of.
Suitable environment that monster preferred, precious metals and gems that human liked, and also weapons or magic tools that were created from ores.
Because the dungeon had never been human before, most of the things that they created were no different from trash, but a dungeon that had existed for a long time and continued to absorb residual thought all along could increase their floor level, recreated their cave into stone passage, and they even gradually became bale to create magic sword or treasure that human couldnt create.
And thenthe residual thoughts that continued to accumulate inside a dungeon for thousand of years would possess an ego as a dungeons spirit that was different from the spirits of the natural world. This dungeons spirit then would grant Gift to intellectual creature that arrived at their lowest floor.
GiftA special ability that surpassed mere human strength.
In the past heroes would seek that power, used that power to overcome numerous difficulties, and guided the human society, countries toward peace.
Therefore humans sought for dungeon with dream in their heart.
Even while knowing that what they would find there wouldnt be limited to just hope.
.
And now the young royalties of Claydale Kingdom would also challenge a dungeon.
Several hundred years ago, Claydale Kingdom absorbed Dandall Dukedom and Melrose Dukedom and rapidly grew in strength, becoming a powerful country. Naturally such rapid growth caused the neighboring countries to consider them as dangerous. Because of that the next generation of the royal family sought to obtain Gift in order to oppose the other countries.
While the crown prince, the first princess, and the noble daughters who were engaged to the crown prince were making their preparation to conquer the dungeon, the head of the royal court magicians, Count Lester were having a conversation with his daughter who would participate in the dungeon exploration this time due to her status as a fiance of the crown prince. The conversation that was taking place in the office of his mansion had an extremely cold atmosphere even though they were father and daughter.
CarlaI wont ask you to come back safely. Just dont let the crown prince to die. Thats the only thing that Im asking from you.
Very well, dear father.
I dont permit you to bring the servants of this mansion with you. Just choose some people from outside.
I understand.
Those werent words that a parent should say toward their child who would be heading to a dangerous place, but even after listening to the words of Count LesterIgnas Lester that he was spitting while frowning the whole time, Carla was only squinting her eyes that had dark circles around them with a sunny smile on her lips.
She didnt remember how many years it had been since the last time they had a father and daughter conversation like this. The father treated her daughter like a thing, while the daughter didnt even consider her father as human. The chasm between them had gone far beyond being a mere irreconcilable difference. The atmosphere among the two of them could even be called as an atmosphere between two enemies.
In fact, Ignas had attempted to kill Carla before, and not just once or twice. He only left his daughter alive when she was still little because he thought that she still had some use for him, but his daughters dangerousness rose up by leapt and bound as she grew older, and currently the only reason why they didnt kill each other was because of Carlas status as a fiance of the crown prince at the present time.
She didnt have long to live anyway. She might die just by a single punch from an ordinary person. But Carla hadnt died even when she was poisoned by her family.
Begone from my sight. Nothing would make me happier if you become the crown princes shield and die. That will be the greatest fidelity you can perform for the royal family as a member of Lester House.
The father told his daughter to go die. The daughter laughed in respond to that.
Fufuthat sounds like fun but, in that case Ill need a shield to use. Is it alright if I bring one of my dear brothers with me?
You-!
Im just joking, dear father. I forgot that I only have one brother left.
She only had one big brother remaining despite having three in the past. Even that last remaining brother had never returned to this mansion for many years because he was scared of getting killed by Carla.
Then fare thee well, dear father. Should I also give my greeting to dear mother?
Sera smiled at Elenas words. Chloe beside her also nodded quietly with a gentle atmosphere.
This would be a dangerous mission where they might not be able to return back alive from it. Even so, there was strength inside their eyes. Although there was resolve in there, there wasnt any sadness that could be felt from them.
Seeing that we have come this far, I shall also poached away Sera from dear mother. Are you fine with that?
It shall be as your highness will it.
Sera too smiled just a little, seeing Princess Elena who was displaying such aristocratic haggling that was unthinkable coming from a girl who had just turned eleven this year.
Although Elena would stake her life in the task this time, she had no intention of dying. She was thinking of what would happen after she returned alive.
She wasnt seeking result, but making progress by considering the effect that the result would bring. It was a quality of Elena that the crown prince didnt possess. Her caliber as a king was surpassing her big brother.
She possessed four elemental attributes and her body stopped being healthy due to the magic stone in her heart swelling up. Elena wasnt fit to become king due to her bodys condition but, she hadnt given up on anything.
When she was littlethere was a girl who never gave up no matter what and saved her.
Until then Elena had continued fighting alone inside the darkness where she couldnt see anything ahead, but then the moonlight reached her and illuminated the dark path.
After that Elena stopped giving up.
.
(I wonder what you will think if you can see the me right nowAria)
***
Father, please allow me to also go-! Im Claras big brother, and a protector of his highness the crown prince!
Just give up on that already, Rockwell. Realize that you are the heir of this Dandall.
His little sister Clara who was engaged to the crown prince was commanded by the royal family to conquer a dungeon. Rockwell was only informed of that right before the dungeon exploration would be carried out. He wished to accompany the exploration in order to protect his little sister and his friend, but his father Margrave Dandall stopped him.
Perhaps he would be allowed to go if he asked his hot-blooded grandfather who was fond of Clara, but his grandfather had handed over the headship of Dandall house to his father, so his father was the only one who could make the decision.
Unlike his grandfather, his father was an intellectual person, because of that the headship and the position as the supreme knight commander were handed over to him in order to weather the current chaotic domestic situation of this country. Unlike the members of the ordinary knight house, Rockwell himself was also an intellectual person, and because of that he was able to understand his fathers thinking. That was exactly why he was unable to take any rash action.
Clara was watching that argument between her father and big brother like it was other peoples business.
Could her participation be cancelled if she too asked her grandfather? Would she not be required to head to a dangerous place if she earnestly pleaded to her father?
(It wont worksurely.)
Clara being the first queen was the consensus of the whole Dandall House after taking into consideration how her aunt who should be the first queen was forced to become the second queen. Her whole family and also the vassals of her house were wishing for Clara to become the first queen.
Even the past Clara before she regained the memory of her previous life was also wishing to become the first queen because she was a child who didnt know anything. She was under the impression that becoming the first queen would be the best thing only because that was what her family wished for. There was no way that Clara could say that she didnt want to become the first queen at this point.
The Clara of the otome game didnt have any Gift. Perhaps she simply failed to obtain it in the game but, in the game Clara and the others didnt enter the dungeon at this time period when they were at such young age.
In the game there was a dungeon exploration event in order to obtain strength after the demon race event, but perhaps the demon race event was happening early right now.
The otome game started when the heroine reached the age for entering the academy. Even if she was able to get along with the heroine, if Ervan got interested with the heroine and entered a romantic relationship with her, the people around them would become attracted to the heroines charm and planned to remove Clara to place the heroine as the first queen.
She could understand it now although it wasnt shown in the game. In order to place the heroine who was the princess of Melrose as the first queen, a made up charge was created to remove Clara politically.
Clara pondered whether the heroine could be removed in order to avoid such future that might spell her death, but here she learned that it was possible she might die even before that. It made her felt like her sight was turning dark.
.
(Justwhat am I doing here)