novelraw Chapter 125 : Chapter 125
Chapter 125 : Chapter 125
Chapter 125. Dungeon’s Aftermath (3)
Immediately after the dungeon abnormality occurred and all adventurers were forcibly returned.
I immediately summoned all the dungeon managers.
Mammon, of course, as well as Number 1 and the other Unseen Ones who had acted as guides.
And even Anonymous, who was the temporary substitute.
I gave Mammon a stern warning never to touch the dungeon system again without my permission.
Especially the difficulty settings.
The same went for Anonymous.
I urged the Unseen Ones to carry out their duties as guides more thoroughly and to do their best to ensure the safety of the adventurers.
The pandemonium that had occurred this time must never happen again.
Of course, if I were to trace the root cause of all this commotion, it ultimately lay with myself.
My excessive desire to protect my daughters, my foolish jealousy, had led me to give a wrong order to Mammon, and as a result, many people were put in danger and injured.
This was clearly my mistake.
‘I need to be more careful from now on. I shouldn’t let my personal feelings sway me and ruin the greater cause.’
I reflected deeply inwardly and made a promise to myself.
As I did, I naturally thought of the young man named Douglas Junior.
His amazing growth rate, the spirit he showed when he defeated the Hydra, and his unyielding will until the very end.
‘He was a charming fellow, no matter who looked at him.’
I had to be honest and admit it.
Not only his appearance, but his inner self was also upright and strong.
A person truly worthy of being called the hero of the next generation.
‘Yes. A guy like that would be a fine husband for my daughter.’
I admitted it so readily that I was a little surprised myself.
But I immediately shook my head.
‘Of course, that’s a story for after we defeat Primus and everything is peaceful. Not now.’
Until then, I couldn’t allow any romance.
I was a father, and at the same time, a leader with the responsibility to protect this world.
I once again began to think about the defense and reinforcement of Lumen Fortis.
A considerable amount of time had passed since Nox disappeared, but there was no movement from the demon camp.
Was this really peace?
No, it felt more like the calm before the storm, which made me even more anxious.
‘What on earth are they doing? The longer this silence continues, the more dangerous it feels.’
I still hadn’t even grasped the true nature of the being called Primus.
I couldn’t just sit back and relax.
“This won’t do. I need to take a more active lead.”
I shot up from my seat.
I decided to personally select those who showed outstanding performance among the adventurers who had become strong through the dungeon and train them as an elite force.
I had to go beyond simply watching their growth and personally train and lead them.
A few days later.
The training ground was filled with the shouts of the elite adventurers selected from the dungeon.
I watched their training with a hawk’s eye and personally instructed them.
“Your posture is clumsy! Put more power into the tip of your sword! Again!”
“Timing is important! Don’t be afraid to aim for the enemy’s openings!”
Under my strict guidance, the soldiers’ skills improved rapidly.
Among them, of course, was Douglas Junior.
He participated in my training with more passion than anyone else and grew at an astonishing speed.
One strange thing was that, at some point, Noemi started to show up at the training ground often.
She didn’t participate in the training, but would just stand from a distance and quietly watch Douglas Junior train.
She was a child who had no interest in anything other than magic books before.
Even Adel would occasionally visit the training ground and, as if by appointment, approach Douglas Junior and offer advice on his swordsmanship.
“The golem’s weak point is the core inside. No matter how much you strike other parts, it won’t do much damage. Read the flow of the attack and aim for the core accurately.”
“Th-thank you, Lady Adel! I’ll keep that in mind!”
Douglas thanked Adel for her advice, his face even blushing.
My feelings watching that scene were truly complicated.
‘How should I view this.’
I couldn't help but let out a bitter smile.
No matter how much I try to stop it, is this what they call fate?
Or is it just my daughters cherishing a talented junior?
I looked up at the sky and sighed.
Which of my daughters would connect with him in a deeper bond, or if anything would happen at all.
It seemed I could only watch from now on.
It was a complex feeling, a mix of a father’s worry and a leader’s expectations.
***
“He’s cute, you know.”
Sitting in the shade on one side of the training ground, Noemi was slightly surprised herself at the heartfelt words that had just slipped out.
At the end of her gaze, the young man named Douglas Junior was sitting and deliciously eating the lunch box she had just given him.
Unbefitting of his shabby clothes, the way he nibbled on his food looked just like a squirrel.
Just a few days ago, she had thought of him as just a country bumpkin, but she felt her feelings for him were gradually changing.
But that warm sentiment was short-lived.
Noemi’s brow furrowed again.
“Ugh, she’s here again.”
Because she saw Adel entering the training ground.
She naturally approached Douglas Junior as if it were familiar and began to give him advice on his sword posture.
Douglas repeatedly nodded his head and expressed his gratitude, and Adel smiled with satisfaction at him.
The two of them looked just like a skilled senior knight and her admiring junior.
‘What is she doing? Isn’t she going to raid the dungeon?’
Noemi grumbled inwardly.
Lately, Adel had been showing up at the training ground more often and personally giving Douglas sword instruction.
Of course, it was helpful for Douglas' growth, and it was a natural thing for a senior adventurer to do.
But for some reason.
Noemi felt very uncomfortable watching that scene.
A corner of her chest stung and ached.
‘I’m sure my sister is doing that with good intentions……. Why do I feel bad?’
She wanted to personally instruct him too.
She wanted to be of some help to his growth.
But he was a swordsman.
She, a mage, knew nothing about swordsmanship.
The fact that there was nothing she could teach him was frustrating and annoying.
‘Tsk. I wish he were a mage like me. Then I could teach him myself.’
Noemi couldn't shake off this inexplicable feeling.
She had to release this bubbling irritation and frustration somewhere.
And she had just found a good ‘target to vent her anger on.’
“Is everyone paying attention?!”
Noemi shot up and sharply shouted at the magic training group that was in progress in another corner of the training ground.
She had volunteered to be the basic magic training instructor for the soldiers her father had personally selected.
Because she felt like she would really explode if she didn't pour out her overflowing magic power and knowledge somewhere.
“Your magic concentration is completely off! You have to gather all your nerves at your fingertips and feel the sensation of mana swirling! Not like that! Again!”
Her harsh words, poured out with glaring eyes, drained the souls of the soldiers in training.
The standards of the genius mage were too high, and the intensity of the training was also murderous.
“Pant, pant. This is too hard. I feel like I’m going to collapse from mana exhaustion.”
“I know. It’s an honor for the family to be trained directly by Lady Noemi, but at this rate, I’ll die before I even face an enemy.”
The soldiers exchanged glances, their faces looking like they were about to die.
On the other hand, there were also those who acknowledged Noemi’s genius and resolved to work harder.
“Everyone, get a grip. Where else can we receive this level of education.”
“That’s right. We’re not just mere adventurers anymore. We’re the regular soldiers of the Continental Alliance.”
Nevertheless, Noemi’s voice became more spirited and sharper as time went on.
Especially when the sight of Adel and Douglas Junior talking affectionately far away came into her view, her magic power raged even more fiercely.
That sight was just like that of a young girl who couldn’t approach the boy she liked and wasinstead being mean to the people around her.
Of course, the tantrum of a genius mage was nothing short of a disaster for its target.
“Can’t you do it properly?! Do you want to run a hundred laps around the field as a group!”
At Noemi’s roar, the soldiers were once again terrified and clung to their magic concentration training.
Their painful groans filled the training ground.
Thanks to that, the soldiers’ magic skills improved day by day.
***
Meanwhile, at that time.
In the middle of the eastern sea, far from Lumen Fortis.
A small, precarious sailboat that looked like it would sink at any moment was floating on the angry waves.
A broken mast, a torn sail, a cracked hull.
Seawater had already risen to ankle level inside the boat, sloshing around.
On that precarious boat, a man was desperately rowing.
His appearance was a mess.
His whole body was wet with seawater and sweat, his face was gaunt as if he hadn't eaten for days, and his lips were dry and chapped.
Surprisingly, he was a foreigner with black eyes and black hair, a rare sight on the continent of Ista.
But his gaze was shining brightly like a lighthouse in a storm.
Despite the extreme fatigue and dehydration, his spirit was not broken.
He gritted his teeth and rowed again with difficulty.
“Ugh. I must let them know about this, across the sea.”
It was unclear what had happened, but his heart was filled with only desperation and a sense of mission.
He struggled to shake off the drowsiness and hunger that tormented him.
The muscles in his arms screamed, and the calluses on his palms peeled off, bleeding, but he did not stop.
How much time had passed.
Beyond his blurry vision, the faint shadow of land began to appear.
“Land! I see land!”
The man reflexively widened his eyes.
It wasn't a mistake.
The faint outline of land visible beyond the horizon.
It was the continent.
“Just a little more and it’s the continent!”
As if squeezing out his last remaining strength, he rowed even more fiercely.
Hope reignited the dying embers of his life.
His sense of time had long since disappeared.
Only the instinct to move towards the land in front of him moved him.
Finally, the creaking sailboat precariously ran aground on the sandy beach.
Along with the relief of having reached land, the last bit of tension that had supported his body snapped.
He staggered and tried to crawl out of the boat, but ended up collapsing on the sand.
Panting heavily, he smiled in relief in his fading consciousness.
‘…Arrived… I’ve arrived.’
That was his last thought.
The man fell into a deep darkness.
He was discovered on the remote beach a full four days later.
A fragment of a broken oar was still firmly gripped in his hand.