Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: Living as a Hero's Brother**

**Chapter 23: Preparations (1)**

"Engagement, you say?"

In response to Anais's question, Oliver G. Daniel, the current leader of the Judgment Knights, nodded his head.

"Yes. Anais, as you know, there has been much talk within due to the sacrifice of Daira."

"..."

"That's why His Majesty is greatly concerned. He fears that the bugs in the underground city, if they continue to amass power, could pose a significant threat to humanity in the future."

What does that have to do with an engagement?

Anais, who had no particular interest in adult matters, listened quietly for the moment.

"To that end, we have decided to plant a spy to directly interfere with the underground city."

"And what does that have to do with this?"

"It's the Clayton family. Given their leadership in the Trade Guild, they are expected to have considerable influence in the underground city."

"..."

"But even the Clayton family can't be trusted completely. That's why the engagement is necessary."

"Ah."

Only then did Anais nod, understanding the adult matters.

"So, is this also for the sake of justice?"

"Yes, and for the greater good as well."

"...I understand."

Anais nodded without much complaint.

She had no particular interest in romantic relationships.

For the sake of justice. For the greater good.

These two conditions were enough for her to accept.

Justice and the greater good were, after all, always synonymous with sacrifice.

Didn't the Judgment Knights also shed their blood and make sacrifices for the sake of great justice and the greater good?

'Still, it's a shame.'

It wasn't that she was disappointed by Daniel's decision, her adoptive father.

It was just that she felt weak.

If she had absolute, overwhelming power, there would be no need for such a troublesome process.

In the end, Anais nodded, and the engagement was finalized. She then went to find Shane.

* * *

"Due to these reasons, Anais Lintberg will temporarily join our team."

"Whaaat!"

The sudden appearance of Anais surprised all the team members, but the one most shocked was undoubtedly Dirailla.

Anais.

One of the Judgment Knights who had been involved in Dirailla's kidnapping a while ago, making her reaction quite natural.

Especially since that person had been killed right in front of Dirailla!

"Wait, isn't it a bit strange? Why are there so many command students in this team?"

While Dirailla's shock was understandable, her question was also valid.

Typically, command students formed teams with students from other combat classes.

Given the nature of the command class, which often scored the most points as team leaders, this was a common practice.

However, Anais's choice was also quite natural.

"Not really. Why is it strange?"

"Well, you're a command student!"

"Not really. There are plenty of reasons for a command student to join this team."

Indeed, that was true.

One of the Five Great Cradles, the Mezaya Great Forest, was the destination.

The points that would come with it were a given, and collaborating with the Laviata Adventurers would be a significant achievement for any adventurer.

Without even considering the class, many students had approached Shane personally once the news started spreading.

Of course, when Shane ignored them all, it was Klein who became annoyed.

"Also, I just came to check out the team with an engagement. I won't be staying long."

"Really? Ah, wait. Engagement?"

Before Dirailla could express more doubts, Shane cut her off.

"Anyway, Anais will be joining us temporarily for this collaboration. Now, I'll explain the dungeon we're about to enter, so listen carefully."

"Ugh... Okay."

Given that it was temporary, Dirailla sat down.

While she didn't particularly want to get involved, her stance was to minimize any interaction with Anais if possible.

"I've chosen a dungeon with an environment similar to the Mezaya Great Forest. Here, you will face your own constraints while carrying out the mission."

"Constraints?"

Klein's question prompted Shane to nod.

"As you all know, the Mezaya Great Forest is a place with many restrictions on the use of magic."

The group nodded in agreement.

The Mezaya Great Forest is more dangerous due to its environment than the monsters.

As mentioned in various dungeon-related classes, the Mezaya Great Forest not only has weather issues but also a persistent magical instability, which is the biggest problem.

"Replenishing magic in such a place is not only dangerous but also takes a long time. While it might be manageable for those with a certain level of magical adaptability, it's not something we can discuss at our current level."

Of course, Shane was a bit different.

The magical instability in the Mezaya Great Forest was caused by a being related to runes.

Thus, he faced fewer restrictions compared to others.

"So, for the next ten days or so, each of you will have your own constraints in this dungeon."

"What kind of constraints?"

"First, Klein. You can't use any magic except for the mana needed for physical enhancement."

"Ugh..."

Physical enhancement is a basic combat technique that anyone who knows how to use magic can perform.

For Klein, who relied heavily on magic to fight, this was a significant constraint.

"Dirailla, take this."

"Wait, what is this? Dirt?"

When Dirailla opened the bag Shane handed her, it contained only a handful of dirt.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Use that dirt as your weapon."

"Whaaat?"

As a subterranean, Dirailla was essentially an earth-elemental mage.

With just that amount of dirt, she could create a deadly weapon, but that wasn't her style.

She preferred to use large amounts of earth to overwhelm her opponents.

"Handling it too precisely will give you a headache..."

"Deal with it."

"Ugh..."

Once you join a team, it's generally best to follow the team leader's instructions.

In fact, a team leader often plays a significant role in improving the skills of their teammates.

Anais then looked at Shane.

"What about me?"

"Hmm."

Shane paused, thinking.

Anais wasn't part of his original plan.

While she would become an important figure in the future, he hadn't planned to interact with her yet.

Anais would naturally grow on her own.

Of course, she would face many challenges, but that was beyond Shane's concern.

There was no need to pay such close attention to her unless she was like Klein, and she wasn't someone he needed to prevent from becoming an enemy like Dirailla.

"Use magic only for physical enhancement, similar to Klein. And one more thing."

"Okay."

"Swing your sword without a moment's hesitation."

"...? Got it."

Anais nodded, still not fully understanding Shane's words, and Shane began to explain the details of the dungeon they would be entering.

"The dungeon is a multi-level one, including a forest, a cave, and an underground tunnel. It's medium-sized."

"It's bigger than I thought."

"The difficulty isn't too high. The main monsters are Ratmen, Trolls, War Boars, Mass Goblins, and Leather Kobolds."

A multi-level dungeon, as Shane described, is one where various monsters coexist.

There are several ways to clear such a dungeon.

Typically, two or three teams of adventurers divide the areas and clear them.

Alternatively, a team like Shane's might clear the dungeon alone, which naturally takes longer and increases the risk of unexpected situations.

Of course, the rewards for clearing the dungeon alone are also greater.

"The starting point is the underground tunnel, followed by the cave, and there's a dense forest in front of it."

This information was gathered by a specialist mage using a familiar magic to control their summoned creature.

Shane also briefly explained the dungeon's characteristics and the habits of the monsters before continuing.

"Although you have constraints, if you judge the situation to be dangerous, ignore the constraints and focus on the mission. Any questions?"

Dirailla raised her hand.

"But don't you have any constraints?"

"I always fight with constraints."

Shane, who primarily used the power of Origin, couldn't use that power in his current identity.

If that wasn't a constraint, what was?

However, Dirailla, who didn't know this, looked puzzled, but Shane ignored her.

Soon, the dungeon operation began.

* * *

A place where dead monsters come back to life, and destroyed terrain is restored.

Dungeons have the characteristic of regenerating as long as their core is not destroyed.

Many mages have tried to uncover the reason behind the dungeon's phenomena, but nothing definitive has been discovered.

This was because the environment was created by a seal performed by Akasha, who was revered as a deity.

Shane and his group arrived at the dungeon called the "Forest of the Blue Watchman" using the teleportation gate of the Allied Nations.

"Sure enough, it's damp."

As soon as they entered the dungeon, Dirailla commented on the environment.

As Shane had mentioned earlier, the entrance to the dungeon was a damp underground tunnel.

At the same time, Shane added his runes to a round magical artifact he took out from his pocket.

"Wow. Is this the magical camera I've only heard about? Amazing. It's floating on its own."

A magical camera, which records images using the stored magic circuits when magic is infused.

It was a useful tool for preventing various crimes in the dungeon or reviewing battles to improve skills.

However, the downside was the price.

Even a decent adventurer team would hesitate to buy one, and a top-tier model with guaranteed durability was said to be worth an entire team.

However, the costs of securing the dungeon and the necessary expenses were all covered by Shane and Klein's families, the Claytons.

Despite Lowell's usual stinginess, he praised the two highly for their collaboration with Laviata and their journey to the Mezaya Great Forest, and provided this support.

"From now on, I'll record our battles with this and review them whenever we have time. So, don't expect to slack off."

"Understood, sir."

"Ah, if we mess up, will this be a permanent record of our failures?"

"..."

The magical camera, inscribed with the runes for 'floating' and 'tracking,' floated along behind the group, and the first battle began.

The first monster to signal the start of the battle was a Ratman.

A bipedal rodent-like monster the size of an adult, known for its cunning, comparable to a goblin, and its alertness, surpassing a kobold, making it a challenging opponent.

However, conversely, it meant that it had the intelligence of a goblin and, once it relaxed its guard, was only slightly stronger than an adult male.

A total of five Ratmen appeared through the passage.

The group numbered only four.

Was it because of their numerical advantage?

The Ratmen approached, chittering.

This was not typical behavior for a Ratman.

They were usually as cautious as kobolds.

'But here, the dungeon's characteristics come into play.'

Monsters in the dungeon rarely turn their backs on humans and run.

If they do, it's only to call for reinforcements or lure them into a trap when the situation is unfavorable.

Many scholars believed that this behavior was due to the hatred of Akasha, who sealed them, and by extension, the hatred of the human race.

Additionally, their knowledge level was frozen at the time the dungeon was sealed.

At that time, humans were a lowly species that didn't even know how to use magic, the fundamental power of the world.

Thus, to the Ratmen, sealed by Akasha and denied the passage of time, the humans before them were merely powerless prey.

Of course, if the number of enemies was even one more than their own or if their equipment was significantly superior, the Ratmen would flee without hesitation.

Shane spoke quietly.

"Klein, show us your skills first."

"Understood, sir."

With that, Klein drew his sword, ready for battle, and stepped forward.