Chapter 13: I Became a Swordsman in the Middle Ages
Added 2025-05-09 06:09:12 +0000 UTCA Suitable Dungeon (3)
On the road to the dungeon, Cecilia found herself lost in an old memory.
Cecilia: hey
IDontGetThisCrapGame: yo
Cecilia: take this
[Demonic Sword Irthar – Instantly kills any monster under level 80.]
[Flame of Growth – Triples gained EXP.]
Cecilia: makes early leveling super easy
IDontGetThisCrapGame: oh thx thx
It had been a long time since she met a newbie.
She had been so excited, she gave away all sorts of great items.
They met up again later too—she tagged along and carried them through quests. It was a good time.
But the newbie started logging in less and less.
Why?
She’d been generous with items and carried them the whole time.
IDontGetThisCrapGame: I think I’m gonna quit
Cecilia: Why? ㅠㅠ
IDontGetThisCrapGame: just super boring lol
That hit Cecilia like a truck.
So hard, in fact, that she fell into bed sick for three days straight.
That was when she realized something important.
Helping someone wasn’t everything.
Before offering guidance, she had to first show them how fun this game could be.
***
“This is the ‘Tomb of the Skilled.’”
The place Cecilia stopped at was a forest clearing a little ways from the capital.
A gate made of tangled vines stood before them, and beyond it was an abandoned mansion.
“Why is there a mansion in the middle of the forest...?”
The apprentice knights looked up blankly.
Cecilia clasped her hands behind her back and looked at them.
“Is this everyone’s first dungeon?”
“N-No, ma’am. I’ve been to a few... But never one like this.”
“Sounds like you've only been to easy ones. Just cave systems, no demons guarding them, only basic monsters.”
The apprentice nodded nervously.
Cecilia explained in a detached tone.
“This is a mid-tier dungeon. From this level onward, they’re usually handled by the Windsor Knights. Though this is the lowest level among them, so we use it to help new recruits adjust.”
“Then… does that mean—?”
“If you manage to survive this dungeon on your own, I’ll personally recommend you to the Order.”
At those words, their eyes widened with anticipation. Some were already visibly fired up.
“...Most of you probably already know this, but for those who don’t, let me give a quick briefing before we enter.”
Cecilia raised one finger.
“First, don’t let fear overwhelm you inside the dungeon.”
She raised a second.
“Second, obey the demon’s rules. However, there are exceptions.”
She raised a third.
“If you’re capable of surviving without following the rules, then ignore the second rule. That’s all.”
Just then, one of them raised a hand.
Cecilia gave a gentle nod like a kindergarten teacher.
“Um, what are the demon’s rules exactly?”
Cecilia glanced at the mansion.
“Once we’re inside, the demon will gladly explain it to you. Alright, shall we go in?”
“Yes, ma’am!”
A loud, disciplined chorus rang out in unison.
‘So full of spirit. How adorable.’
Cecilia smiled faintly.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve been in a dungeon… maybe that’s why I feel excited.’
She wondered what kind of demon would be waiting this time as she approached the mansion.
“Welcome, esteemed guests.”
A man in a formal suit suddenly appeared before them.
His eyes were completely black, lacking any whites, and twisted goat horns protruded from his head.
“I-It’s a demon!”
The apprentice knights instinctively reached for their swords—
—but before any of them could draw, an overwhelming pressure burst forth from Cecilia’s presence.
‘Draw your sword, and you die.’
She didn’t say a word, but the message struck each of them like thunder.
The demon butler bowed in an exaggerated, theatrical motion.
“How grateful I am that you understand my wish not to fight.”
Cecilia observed him for a moment.
‘Is this a butler concept? That pair of glasses is atrocious.’
“No, we were the rude ones, meeting for the first time.”
“Haha, such polite guests are a first for me. May I ask your name?”
‘Wait. I remember hearing we should never tell a demon our real name.’
The apprentices stiffened in panic, hurriedly thinking up aliases…
“Cecilia Windsor.”
“Windsor...? Ah, the guest who’s always losing her way.”
But something in the demon’s demeanor shifted when Cecilia said her name.
Sweat started to bead on his forehead. He began dabbing nervously at it with a handkerchief.
His glasses fogged up with steam.
“Y-You…”
“Yes?”
Cecilia tilted her head slightly.
Gulp.
With a strained smile, the demon croaked:
“What brings the Butcher here…?”
“The Butcher?”
“……!”
For a moment, fear flickered in the demon’s pitch-black eyes.
He froze in long silence, lost in thought…
Then, as if finally making up his mind:
“W-Well, I’d love to host such noble guests, but unfortunately… there are no vacancies tonight.”
He turned and tried to slip inside.
The apprentices stood stunned, completely unsure of what was happening.
But Cecilia moved with surprising speed, catching the demon by the wrist.
“W-Why are you doing this?!”
“It’s late. I’d like to stay in the mansion for the night.”
“As I said, there are no rooms!”
“But I want to stay.”
The demon tried to flee, but Cecilia held him firmly, speaking with perfect calm.
The bizarre sight of a demon trying to escape and Cecilia gently "convincing" him left the apprentices speechless.
“Is that... a problem?”
As Cecilia’s eyes coldly sank, the demon blurted out in panic:
“O-On second thought, it would be shameful to turn away guests who’ve come so far.”
Satisfied, Cecilia nodded and released his wrist.
Still watching her warily, the demon straightened his collar.
“By all means, feel free to stay. I am Ricardo, the steward of this mansion. While you are here, I shall serve you with utmost courtesy and care. However, this mansion does have a few rules.”
He paused mid-sentence and glanced at Cecilia again, as if seeking permission.
She gave him a nod.
Ricardo opened his mouth—
—But the words that spilled out were not in any human language.
His mouth moved unnaturally fast, spewing forth an alien tongue. It wasn’t just incomprehensible, it was terrifying.
=========
[Welcome to the Tomb of the Skilled!]
Lost in the forest, you stumble upon a marvelous mansion!
Fortunately, the mansion’s steward, Ricardo, has a warm heart. He gladly welcomes you inside.
But beware! This mansion has several rules!
1. Do not be rude! A refined gentleman or lady should always mind their manners.
2. Do not make loud noises! Noise pollution lowers property values!
3. No running in the halls! Surely no one would dash around such a dignified home?
4. Do not go outside after midnight! Wandering around late at night is simply bad manners.
=========
It wasn’t heard with the ears, it was directly understood inside the mind.
Some of the apprentice knights were frozen in fear by the surreal experience.
“Heh.”
Ricardo licked his lips with a cruel smile—he had just devoured their fear.
But—
“Gasp.”
When his eyes met the silver-haired girl staring at him with a blank expression, his shoulders shrank slightly.
“Is something wrong?”
“N-No, not at all.”
“…We’ve understood the rules. We’ll try not to break them.”
‘Phew. They didn’t come to purge me, it’s just a training exercise.’
Realizing Cecilia’s intent at last, Ricardo sighed in relief.
As long as he didn’t cross the line, that ‘Butcher’ wouldn’t act. Just like the other Windsor Knights before her.
“Then once again, welcome to our mansion. Feel free to choose whichever room you like. But first—shall we have dinner?”
***
‘I'll have to buy a gift for the vice-commander when I get back.’
Cecilia was in an unusually good mood.
The dungeon Edward had chosen was full of character—she was especially pleased by its mansion setting and the butler-demon, Ricardo.
‘He’s clever. And clever demons usually hide the most interesting mechanics.’
Still, a small part of her felt disappointed.
‘It’d be nice to be treated like a real guest too…’
But sadly, she was here in the role of supervisor, not player. She couldn’t afford to let her guard down and enjoy it.
‘Even so, this isn’t bad either.’
The dungeon’s quality was higher than expected.
Right now, it was rated “Moderate”, but she could see it easily being bumped up to “Hard.”
That meant the apprentices would grow a lot if they made it to the end.
Watching that growth—that was the real joy of this mission.
“Lady Cecilia.”
“Yes?”
A soft voice called out to her.
It was the golden haired girl—Beatrice—asking with utmost care:
“To clear this dungeon… what should we do?”
Cecilia had intended not to interfere once they’d entered the dungeon…
But Beatrice was too cute.
So she decided to give her an answer.
"If you follow the rules properly, the demon will gradually weaken. Once you feel the time is right, that’s when you kill it. On the other hand, if you break the rules… you’ll die."
That was the classic modus operandi of demons.
Demons didn’t simply aim to kill humans.
They wanted to extract fear, to inflict maximum suffering.
That’s why they created dungeons like this:
Places born out of the question, “How can I make this even more terrifying?”
"Lady Cecilia! Then how long do we have to endure these rules?"
“…”
Cecilia didn’t answer.
She quietly averted her gaze.
The apprentice who had just mustered the courage to ask froze in place like stone.
“J-Just one more question, please...!”
Another apprentice, a boy with wild, weedy hair, raised his hand.
‘That hair is hilarious.’
Cecilia gave a gentle nod.
"This food... is it safe to eat?"
Cecilia glanced at the food laid out before everyone.
Gurgle—
Purple, slimy jelly-like lumps wriggled grotesquely on their plates.
Just looking at them made her stomach churn.
She looked at the dish with barely veiled disgust.
"It doesn’t look good. I wouldn’t recommend it."
"N-No, I meant... if we eat it, will we die?"
"No. That wasn’t one of the rules, so you won’t die from eating it."
That brought a brief wave of relief, but their expressions didn’t change.
‘We’re supposed to eat this…?’
Death almost seemed preferable.
Only now did they understand why Cecilia had destroyed everything except the food earlier.
"You’d better conserve supplies. Who knows how long we’ll be stuck here."
"Should we split into teams? We don’t know how big the rooms are, and there's probably not enough space for everyone."
"By what criteria? How do we divide ourselves?"
"Girls should bunk with girls, obviously—"
Cecilia’s eyes sparkled faintly.
‘I want to sleep in that room too.’
‘And cuddle with someone cute I like!’
"No, it should be by skill level. You think this is some kind of joke? What do you guys think?"
"I’m fine either way."
"Hah? That’s nonsense! You think I’m bunking with—"
It was when the female knights, who didn't seem easily convinced, slammed the table and stood up—
Ding—
A bell rang.
Ding—
Another.
Cecilia quietly leaned her chin against her hand, looking thoughtful.
‘So it begins.’
"What the…"
"W-Wait! The rule! One of the rules said we had to be in our rooms by midnight!"
Ding—ding—ding—ding——!
The grandfather clock began tolling faster, more frantically.
The sound filled the mansion like a siren, each ring sharper than the last.
Panic spread like wildfire.
"We're fucked—"
And the moment one apprentice cursed—
Kiii-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki!
The ghosts arrived.
