Chapter 16: I Became a Swordsman in the Middle Ages

A Suitable Dungeon (6)

A chilly air swept through the hall.

Ricardo let out a quiet sigh of relief, while the other apprentice knights looked visibly grim.

‘Was it not fun enough?’

Cecilia pouted slightly, disappointed—until Beatrice looked at Ricardo and asked:

“Will we really be able to leave if we offer a heart?”

“Of course.”

“...By leave, do you mean just this mansion? Or outside the dungeon entirely?”

‘The entrance we came through has vanished.’

Beatrice glanced at the mansion’s window. The vine-covered gate that had definitely been there earlier had disappeared without a trace.

That’s why she asked, just in case.

“...”

But Ricardo only gave her a quiet smile, saying nothing.

In other words, it was a blatant trap.

“What... what do you mean, Betty?”

“Even if we do sacrifice someone, I don’t think he’s talking about letting us out of the dungeon.”

Apprentice knight Wade shot up from his seat and pointed a finger at Ricardo.

“That’s ridiculous! That’s a scam!”

Ricardo’s neck twisted unnaturally as he turned to face him.

“Ugh.”

Realizing too late that he had just broken the rules, Wade flinched.

“You’ve broken the rules, haven’t you?”

“I-I didn’t mean—”

“And not once, but twice.”

Ricardo grinned devilishly and strode toward Wade.

Sensing danger, the apprentice knights nearby quickly backed away.

Seeing this, Cecilia’s gaze narrowed.

‘This is bad.’

Beatrice was startled and prepared to draw her sword. She assumed Cecilia was angry that her comrades were being attacked while she was doing nothing to help.

“S-s-save me… Lady Cecilia…!”

Cornered, Wade trembled in fear and looked to Cecilia with tearful desperation.

“It’s pointless. Useless humans like you are exactly the kind Windsor detests most.”

Ricardo’s eyes slanted sharply as his hand reached for Wade’s throat—

Beatrice reluctantly drew her sword, nearly in tears. Riharten and Dessen moved almost simultaneously.

[Rule #1: Do not be rude! A refined gentleman or lady should always mind their manners!]

Ricardo’s twisted grin deepened.

“You’ve broken the rules again.”

‘This is getting out of hand.’

Cecilia began to consider her options.

Choosing to fight had been the right move—after all, that was what she’d been hoping for.

But fighting while breaking the rules was the worst-case scenario.

Dungeon rules acted as a kind of contract.

As long as those rules weren’t broken, the demon couldn’t harm people.

However—

Every time a rule was broken, the demon was granted power…

But only within this iteration of the dungeon run.

Just five minutes ago, this demon could’ve been subdued if everyone attacked together.

But from this moment on, the power balance had been shattered.

The scales were now tipped overwhelmingly in the demon’s favor.

“I propose a contract.”

Cecilia spoke at last, with no other option left.

Ricardo, who had been about to strike Wade, and the three apprentice knights who had stepped forward to stop him—

All froze in place at the same time.

Ricardo released Wade’s throat.

“Cough, cough! Ughh…!”

As Wade violently coughed, Ricardo stepped over him and bowed deeply in front of Cecilia.

“Do you truly desire a contract?”

“Yes.”

The trainees’ faces visibly stiffened.

“Your terms…?”

“I want all of today’s rule violations to be nullified.”

Cecilia spoke calmly and without a hint of hesitation.

But a contract with a demon was not something to be taken lightly.

More often than not, it favored the demon heavily—

And once initiated, both parties were bound to its terms.

If broken—

The Goddess would punish the demon.

The Demon God would punish the human directly.

“What I request is that you refrain from intervening in this run of the ‘Tomb of the Skilled.’”

Ricardo’s lips split into a grin stretching to his ears.

“No matter what happens?”

Cecilia gave a slight nod and slowly drew her sword.

Holding it in reverse grip, she unflinchingly slashed her own palm.

Drip.

Blood spilled freely.

Ricardo immediately drove his hand into his own chest.

“Grrk—”

Demon blood and Cecilia’s blood soaked the floor.

As the two bloods mixed, they began to form a shape—

A magic circle.

“I, Ricardo—lesser demon—invoke administrative authority to annul all rule violations thus far.”

Fwoosh—

Half of the magic circle ignited in black flame.

“Sword ■■■, Cecilia Windsor shall not interfere with this current iteration of the ‘Tomb of the Skilled.’”

‘What… was that just now?’

Ricardo’s pupils trembled.

It happened in just a fleeting moment—

But the instant Cecilia’s ‘title’ was uttered, her presence exploded, becoming something immeasurable.

A presence so overwhelming, he couldn’t even dare to look up at her.

And yet—he could not clearly hear her epithet.

As if he lacked the qualification to comprehend it.

‘…In any case, the contract is still absolute.’

“This shall be the pact. This hand as witness, this soul as collateral.”

The blood-drawn magic circle shone brightly.

Everyone present understood instinctively—

The contract had been sealed.

Cecilia spoke in her usual emotionless tone.

“The contract is complete.”

“A generous contract. I thank you.”

Ricardo bowed with a strained smile. It was a perfect contract. No loopholes.

“Then, I shall take my leave.”

‘But why do I feel so uneasy?’

Ricardo pushed down a growing anxiety as he exited the dining hall.

***

“C-Cecilia…”

All the trainees had gathered in a single room.

They figured the dining hall wasn’t safe, since that’s where the demon always appeared.

“It’s because of us…”

Beatrice, teary-eyed, was treating Cecilia’s wounded hand as she sat on the bed.

The rest of the trainees knelt on the floor like mourners at a funeral.

Of course—

‘Soft newbie hands… feel so nice.’

Cecilia was internally grinning from ear to ear, but kept it hidden.

“I’m so, so sorry.”

Beatrice’s tears dripped down.

“I can’t believe we were so useless that you had to make a contract with such a demon.”

Sniffling, she wiped her tears as she wrapped the bandage.

Cecilia blinked at the bandage.

‘I’m designating this as Treasure No. 48.’

“I’d hate for you to misunderstand.”

Cecilia spoke quietly.

“The reason I made the contract was solely because of my mission.”

The once gloomy trainees raised their heads.

‘Time to raise morale.’

Cecilia hoped this moment would motivate them to focus more seriously on the dungeon.

“My mission is to support your growth. And, to clear this dungeon without any casualties. I simply chose the most efficient way to achieve those two objectives.”

Upon hearing that, the trainees gritted their teeth.

None of them truly believed she had no choice and merely did it just because of her duty.

They knew she’d made that sacrifice to save them.

“We’ll repay this debt. No matter what.”

Riharten said with firm resolve.

“It was merely my responsibility. But if you insist on doing something for me—then just focus on clearing this dungeon as best you can. However, I want you to make one promise.”

The trainees steeled themselves, ready to give even their lives if she asked.

If Cecilia were to say, “Please jump off a cliff,” they’d probably smile and do it right now.

Cecilia used one of her most-practiced secret techniques: ‘The Ultimate Move! Melancholic Gaze!’

“…Please, let no one get hurt.”

Flash!

Light filled the room.

It wasn’t from Beatrice’s Blessing—

It came purely from Cecilia herself.

‘Saintess…’

‘She’s a Saintess…’

‘The Saint of the Holy Kingdom must be a fake.’

And with that… Cecilia unknowingly gained yet another nickname—one she remained blissfully unaware of.

***

Ricardo was happily humming to himself.

“Today… Movement 36 sounds perfect.”

Luxurious jazz echoed softly throughout the room.

Reclining on a sofa, his expression like he’s just done some illicit drugs, he swirled a glass of wine and sipped it.

“Ah… this is the life.”

He had gotten rid of that thorn in his side—the Butcher.

Now all that was left was to enjoy feasting on those foolish humans.

‘How should I cook them?’

Just imagining it made him giddy.

Should he drown them in endless fear until they turned into ghosts?

Or perhaps pick them off one by one, right in front of that arrogant Butcher, just to mock her?

His only concern was the potential revenge from the Butcher once this “round” ended—but even that didn’t seem like a serious issue.

‘…There are a few high-quality ones among this batch. Once this round ends, I should be able to rank up.’

Once he became a mid-tier demon, he was confident he could escape her wrath.

“17 years… it was all worth it.”

He considered himself a very lucky demon.

As soon as the dungeon opened, he’d secured a collaborator.

Thanks to that, he’d maintained the “Suitable” difficulty rating and was able to harvest fear reliably and safely.

“Once this is over, where should I go next? Cerezia? The Holy Law Kingdom might be interesting too.”

Ricardo was happily fantasizing about his future feast of human terror when he felt a large group approaching this way.

“…Hm?”

Did they finally get bold?

Now that they’d lost the strong one backing them, had they gone insane?

“Hmph.”

With slight annoyance, Ricardo stood up.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“Butler, sir. We’ve come to offer payment.”

“Oh-ho~”

Ricardo eagerly stepped toward the door.

How delightful—to think they’d brought him a nice little appetizer before the main course.

“Welcome to—what the…?”

But when he opened the door, what he saw were the apprentice knights—clearly ready for battle.

And worst of all, they looked utterly unappetizing.

Not a hint of fear.

Their expressions were burning with fighting spirit.

“…I don’t see any hearts on display.”

“Isn’t it right there?”

“…Excuse me?”

Riharten gave a faint smirk as he raised his sword and pointed it at Ricardo.

“We’ve come to offer your heart.”

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