CH 12 Dungeon 181

The dungeon Irene applied for, Dungeon 181, had appeared not far from the fortress, close enough that there was no need to ride a horse. In fact, it was visible to the naked eye even from Irene’s room.

‘But still, he insists on riding a horse.’

Come to think of it, Michael always rode a horse when going to dungeons with her in their past life.

“When he went alone, he would just walk.’

Perhaps he was making sure they didn’t walk together for too long.

But there was one thing that was different.

‘We never used to ride together.’

There was only one instance when they rode together to a distant dungeon. Throughout the journey, she could feel his discomfort as he fidgeted behind her. Eventually, using the excuse of feeling queasy, Irene dismounted and walked. It was better to endure the pain in her feet than his evident discomfort with her.

‘I wonder what happened to him after being so reluctant to be touched.’

It seems he’s learned how to treat purifiers by observing the other pairs around him in this life.

‘That’s fortunate.’

Hopefully, the next person to be his pair will have a more comfortable experience. Whoever that may be, Irene hoped they wouldn’t suffer as much as she had. Nothing good would come out of more people being miserable, after all.

Irene glanced back at the dungeon, which was getting closer and closer.

As expected, Michael was still leaning back, as if he were unable to reach her even if he were dead.

Irene turned her head again, watching him stiffen as he gathered his horse, obviously uncomfortable riding in such an unusual position.

‘He’s going to be so uncomfortable like that.’

Perhaps she had expected something different because of all the changes she observed from their previous life. Despite fully expecting it, she felt a twinge of disappointment at his continued reluctance.

As they approached the dungeon, guards and overseers from the Alliance of Kingdoms, responsible for the areas managed by the fortress, greeted them.

“Welcome, Sir Michael.”

In this land where most dungeons emerged, the Alliance of Kingdoms held absolute authority. They managed and supervised all dungeons, and even the distribution of rewards was subject to the rules they established.

Having such authority, the administrators of the Alliance of Kingdoms were naturally quite arrogant. However, even they respectfully nodded to Michael.

‘Well, he is the only knight who can single-handedly eradicate a high-level dungeon.’

Despite their seeming indifference, the administrators had a task at hand – the destruction of dungeons. Even though they managed dungeons, leaving them unchecked would allow monsters to spill out, causing damage for which the Alliance of Kingdoms would be held responsible.

Thus, knights like Michael, capable of effortlessly annihilating powerful dungeons, could not be treated lightly. If he ever decided to stop destroying dungeons, or if a top-tier dungeon emerged while they were antagonizing him, the potential consequences could be catastrophic.

‘While theoretically possible, there had been no historical precedent for that happening…’

Irene didn’t know what happened after her death, but it was likely a top-level dungeon wouldn’t have emerged for at least another half a year or so.

‘Even if it happens, Michael or other knights will probably take care of it.’

Michael wasn’t the only strong knight in this world. Princess Cecilia and her pair, Sir Bryson, could easily handle intermediate-level dungeons on their own. There were other knights whose names Irene recalled. If they joined forces with Michael, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

After Michael responded to the greetings from the Alliance staff, Irene prepared to dismount along with him. However, as she attempted to step down, her body unexpectedly floated in mid-air.

“Huh…?”

Irene instinctively shut her eyes as she felt the lack of solid ground beneath her. Bracing herself for impact, she opened them again, only to find her body safely back on the ground.

“…?”

She wondered what had just happened.

As she stood dumbfounded, feeling disoriented, Michael removed his hand from her waist.

“…!”

Irene nearly shrieked in surprise, only realizing it after the fact because of the protective gear she wore under her clothes.

‘Did Michael grab me?’

Just a moment ago when they were on horseback, he maintained his distance as if she couldn’t be touched even if she were dead. She hadn’t expected him to grab her by the waist and set her down.

Irene looked at Michael in surprise at this unexpected behavior, and he bowed his head apologetically.

“People unfamiliar with riding often get injured when dismounting. I apologize for the hasty action.”

“Oh, yes…”

Now that she looked, there was quite a height from the stirrups to the ground. He must have meant it sincerely; it wasn’t just an excuse. After offering his explanation, Michael turned to greet the guards and staff.

“So far, there haven’t been any abnormalities. The dungeon’s size and shape are stable, and the monsters near the entrance, confirmed by the guards, retain their water attribute. Would you like to proceed with the initial expedition of Dungeon 181, as you requested?”

In response to his words, Michael nodded and replied, “Michael. I will proceed with the conquest of Dungeon 181.”

Hearing his reply, Irene suddenly remembered a scene from her previous life.

“Sword of God, Michael. I will proceed with the dungeon conquest.”

“Irene Rhodiam. I will proceed with the dungeon conquest.”

She mimicked his response. This was the procedure before entering the dungeon.

Usually, lower-level dungeons can be cleared with just the first run. However, for intermediate or higher-level dungeons, it’s rare to see them vanquished in a single attempt.

‘Typically, it progresses up to the third attempt, and depending on the dungeon, there are cases where up to the tenth raid is carried out.’

While some individuals may take ten attempts, if the original conqueror dies or gets injured, a new person may take on the challenge. If an agreement is reached, joint conquests can even be initiated from the beginning.

‘So, when higher-level dungeons appeared in the past, Princess Cecilia’s gathering entered all at once.’

Pairs with higher-ranked purifiers have priority in dungeon conquests.

Naturally, even among the 1st-grade purifiers, Princess Cecilia, the strongest, could always choose and conquer any dungeon she desired, along with selecting her companions. Therefore, everyone eagerly followed her to get into dungeons with lucrative rewards. This time as well, she would be the first to choose a dungeon, ensuring to claim the rewards that came from it.

“Irene?”

“Yes? Oh, sorry. Irene Rhodiam. I will proceed with the conquest of Dungeon 181.”

Seeing that, the Kingdom Alliance employee swallowed a short sigh.

It was a familiar look. The look that wondered how Michael had ended up paired with such a low-tier purifier.

‘I didn’t even ask him to be my pair this time around.’

Irene suddenly realized. What if she had been a purifier with a rank as high as Princess Cecilia?

“…It would be a hassle.”

Rather than feeling envious, the thought of continuing dungeon conquests made her shudder.

Irene stood behind Michael, realizing that she was indeed becoming disillusioned with the life of a purifier.

“Then, please return safely.”

After exchanging greetings with the guards and employees, Michael walked toward the dungeon entrance.

Gulp.

Irene, following him, swallowed nervously.

At that moment, Michael turned around and said, “If you’re worried about entering the dungeon, you can wait at the entrance with others.”

“What? No, I’m fine.”

Perhaps he sensed her excessive tension. Michael reassured her, “It’s a low-level dungeon. You don’t need to force yourself to follow me.”

“No, I’ll come along.”

Only by entering together would they be able to open the chest in the reward room themselves.

‘I want to check the Invisibility Ring as soon as possible.’

Once she gets her hands on it, she’ll run out immediately. After that, she needed to ask the employee at the entrance for an appraisal and auction registration. Confirming it as an artifact will take half a day at most, and selling it and receiving the money will probably take less than a week. Then she can send the money to the Count, break the pair, and leave the fortress alone.

Envisioning the perfect future she had thought about numerous times, Irene clenched her fist with excitement.

Perhaps misunderstanding her enthusiasm, Michael chuckled and said, “Are you eager to personally confirm the rewards?”

“Well, yes, but…”

“Don’t worry.”

He reassured her with a harmless and benevolent smile.

“I have no intention of swindling your rewards.”

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