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It Breeds Chaos and Captivates the Greedy

A ticklish sensation emerging from deep within the body, accompanied by tremors, followed by the feeling of ascending to a higher level—this was what it felt like when one’s Soul Rank increased.

This sensation, neither pleasant nor unpleasant, could only be described as “strange.”

“Not bad,” Lavia said.

“Really? No matter how many times I go through it, I never seem to get used to it,” Hikaru remarked.

“Me neither,” Paula agreed.

They were in a forest situated a short distance from the kingdom of Ponsonia. Lavia’s magic had incinerated swarms of poisonous insects, eradicated undead monsters spawned from a miasma-infested swamp, and roasted even a giant boar.

Lavia’s control was impeccable; she managed to vanquish monsters without triggering a wildfire.

Consequently, her Soul Rank went up by four in three days.

【Soul Board】Lavia

Age: 14 | Rank: 26 | 0

【Vitality】
【Immunity】
【Toxin Immunity】3
【Stamina】1

【Magical Power】
【Mana Capacity】11
【Mana Principle】2
【Elemental Affinity】
【Fire】5

【Agility】
【Stealth】
【Imperceptibility】3

【Willpower】
【Faith】
【Holy】3

【Instinct】
【Intelligence】
【Language Comprehension】1
【Language Output】1

Lavia wanted the stats under Intuition, specifically Language comprehension and Language output. She was genuinely committed to learning Japanese.

Hikaru had reunited with his parents during his previous visit to Japan. Surprisingly, his parents exhibited childlike tendencies, while Hikaru, who should have been the child, assumed a more mature demeanor. Despite grappling with memories of his parents treating him as if he were invisible, Hikaru had made a promise to return.

Little did he know, Sara of the Four Eastern Stars had taught Lavia basic Japanese, and she had even acquired a Japanese language textbook before leaving.

With the ability to read hiragana and the added Language Comprehension, Lavia was bound to learn Japanese a lot faster now.

“Well then, I’m off to meet the Queen.”

Returning to the capital’s hotel, Hikaru switched into his Silver Face attire.

“Okay. Take care!” Lavia said.

“Be careful! Is it really okay to meet the Queen so casually?” Paula wondered.

Hikaru was no longer concerned about such matters. Meanwhile, Lavia had changed into her loungewear and started reading her Japanese language textbook. This time, the Queen herself had summoned Hikaru.

By summoned, it wasn’t as if she knew the identity and whereabouts of Silver Face. Hikaru had simply spotted a concise advertisement in the capital’s newspaper.

“Collecting silver masks—a reclusive magic researcher.”

There was no contact information or explanation on what type of mask they were after. Hikaru understood that Kujastria was summoning him. Quite a clever method.

Thinking about it, Hikaru could visit Queen Kujastria, but the reverse was not possible. She must have devised this means to contact him.

Hikaru speculated that the reason for her summons was the dungeons.

Just as he contemplated using Pond as their base of operations, a peculiar phenomenon unfolded worldwide: dungeons started popping up everywhere. The unprecedented situation threw the Adventurers Guild into chaos. Since he didn’t want to bother them, Hikaru and his party promptly returned to the capital. Even if they were to operate as adventurers based in Pond, the local guild would likely be preoccupied with the dungeons, whereas the capital’s guild had a lot more resources.

Moreover, the capital housed an abundance of books for Lavia to read, and there were numerous churches and clinics that Paula could visit.

We’ve just been ignoring the Four Eastern Stars’ apartment so far, Hikaru thought. We should check it out. Living expenses in the capital is no joke. Staying there should save us some cash.

He traversed the secret passage, known only to the royal family, and arrived at Kujastria’s private quarters.

It was late at night, and Kujastria was already in bed. She often worked at this hour. Either she managed to finish her duties early or she was simply exhausted.

Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a glow on the bed. Kujastria’s face lacked the dignity of a queen, radiating a certain innocence.

I’ll come back tomorrow.

Hikaru distanced himself from the bed. He didn’t want to wake her.

“Silver Face?”

Hikaru gave a start.

“You’re here.”

He turned and saw Kujastria half-sitting up her bed.

How? He wondered. He had his Stealth on the whole time, so how did he wake her up?

I’m guessing she smelled something after I moved away from the bed.

Stealth could conceal Hikaru’s presence, but it wasn’t foolproof. He could be tracked if he left footprints, and scents or sounds could be sensed from a distance.

“Did I wake you up?” Hikaru disabled his Stealth.

“Honestly… I have to be mindful of my sleepwear since I never know when you’ll drop by.”

“Sorry about that. That newspaper ad was quite an interesting way of communication, though.”

“Right? Although, when I ordered the ad placement, my attendants gave me strange looks.”

Kujastria, now out of bed, was wearing a thin dress that revealed no skin. While it could be described as loungewear, it was probably made of a material unimaginable to Hikaru, with a staggering price tag.

Approaching the table drowsily, Kujastria turned on the magic lamp. Hikaru took a seat on the opposite chair.

“Is this about the dungeons?” Hikaru asked.

“That’s right. How much do you know about this incident?”

“Almost nothing. Only what I’ve read from newspaper articles.”

There were several newspaper companies in the royal capital, but they didn’t feature political or diplomatic stories. Instead, most articles revolved around gossip and crime, catering to the interests of the city’s residents. The next most prevalent topics were related to economics and industry, which included adventurers and dungeons. These newspapers served a dual purpose—entertaining and informing the people of the royal capital. Although produced with only a single sheet of modest paper, many residents enjoyed reading them as a pastime.

“From what I know, there are 18 discovered dungeons, four of them within the Ponsonia Kingdom.”

“Latest information puts the total at 22, five within the kingdom… and one more.”

“What? One more?”

“Actually, a dungeon was discovered near the border with Vireocean, and we still need to check whether it’s within our territory or not.”

“Ah, I see.”

Dungeons did not care about national borders.

“So, Silver Face. There’s only one reason I asked you to come.”

“I’m not clearing or managing it.”

“Really?”

“Don’t ‘really’ me.”

Kujastria pouted—an excessively childish gesture.

Hikaru decided to go along with it. “That’s not gonna work.”

He could only imagine the immense pressure Queen Kujastria faced daily in her position. Perhaps only Silver Face bore witness to her childish side. If her stress could be alleviated even slightly, it wouldn’t hurt to play along with the charade.

“You trespass into a woman’s private chambers like it’s nothing. Such actions are inexcusable.”

“So you want me to clear dungeons as reparation?”

“Yup!”

“Fine. Then I’m never dropping by again. Is that what you want?”

Kujastria half-rose from her seat. “W-Wait! That’s not what I had in mind!”

Hikaru stifled a laughter.

“Wait, were you poking fun at me?”

“Yeah. I remembered how you pulled my leg a couple of times.”

“How mean!” Kujastria puffed her cheeks.

Hikaru noted how expressive she was. The portraits in newspapers always depicted her as cold, composed, and dignified.

I wonder which one is the real Queen Kujastria. Or I guess both of them are the real her.

Hikaru sensed a genuine regal dignity in her. Whether it stemmed from her bloodline or upbringing was unclear, but Kujastoria was undoubtedly a queen. And at the same time, she was also just a young girl.

“Actually, we received a message from the Theocracy of Bios,” Kujastria said.

“Hmm?”

The topic suddenly shifted.

“They wanted to inform you that the appearance of these dungeons is related to the underground pit.”

Hikaru was taken aback. If the sudden appearance of the dungeons is related to the pit, that means that mysterious magic has something to do with it.

He recalled the evenly-spaced megaliths and the runes inscribed on them. The entire thing was operating as one spell.

The mad Man Gnome scientist, Ranna, who eventually turned into a demon, mentioned that the megaliths were collecting negative energy from around the world, preventing the spread of the noxious miasma worldwide.

That spell was likely imperfect, as evidenced by the miasma gushing out and the spawning of demons and undead monsters. The great pit had to be sealed away, accomplished by sacrificing the lives of Funai, a brilliant researcher, and his companions a long time ago.

The seal had been broken, allowing miasma to leak out of the great pit. Perhaps Pope Luvain had attempted to reapply the seal and it wasn’t enough. That seemed a reasonable conclusion.

Alternatively, there might be a flaw in the megaliths’ spell itself, preventing the absorption of negative energy.

In any case, the absorption of the world’s negative energy had been interrupted, and dungeons sealed away in various places were reappearing.

“It seems you have an idea, Silver Face.”

“I don’t have proof, though. Speculating won’t get us anywhere, and frankly, it’s not my problem.”

Hikaru had 3 points in his Instinct. He was almost certain that the great pit was the cause.

But that matter should be dealt with by Luvain and the Church. Hikaru wished not to be involved in such matters. If he had to poke his nose into every single problem out there, he wouldn’t have any time for himself.

“Besides, you have to put your life on the line when you enter a dungeon. You can’t just breeze through one like it’s nothing.”

“Is that so? I thought you could handle it.”

“Who do you think I am?” Hikaru said in disbelief.

Kujastria smiled. “You’re Silver Face. Your true identity may be a mystery, but your accomplishments are so impressive that it’s hard to believe they’re the work of just one person. A talent sought after by leaders from various nations.”

Hikaru flinched. He didn’t expect to receive such a straightforward compliment.

“Is this some kind of payback for me teasing you earlier?”

“No. You know I’m speaking sincerely, don’t you? If I could make you my own with noble titles or a fortune you couldn’t spend in a lifetime, I’d have done it ages ago. And it’s not just me; Emperor Kagurai and Pope Luvain probably share the sentiment.”

“Top two on my list of people I don’t want anything to do with.”

Kujastria chuckled. “There’s no one else who’s earned such praise from leaders of different countries. Your achievements are even more significant than you realize.”

“I’m leaving.” Feeling his skin crawl, Hikaru stood up.

“Arriving out of nowhere, and leaving just as sudden.”

“Because you keep spouting nonsense.”

“There’s nothing nonsensical about it. I thought I should express my true feelings to you at least once.” Kujastria also rose to her feet, holding a magic lamp in her hand. “No matter how dire things get in the future, I’ll remember what you’ve accomplished and use it as motivation. You… yes, you’re like a beacon shining in the darkness.”

Raising the magic lamp, she illuminated the entrance to the secret passage.

“Thanks for coming today. I’ll inform Pope Luvain of our discussion. And honestly, I’m not too worried about the dungeon. If there are treasures hidden there, nobles and adventurers alike will rejoice.”

“…That’s true. I feel a lot better now.”

Kujastria giggled. “You looked like it was none of your concern, though.”

“Too bad. My face is hidden behind a mask.”

Hikaru entered the secret passage and activated Stealth.

He had been curious about the megaliths’ magic and the seal of the great pit.

Luvain probably intended to stir Silver Face into action by teasing information. He was a manipulative man through and through.

Hikaru knew that, yet he couldn’t help but think that his involvement might have somehow influenced the way this world operated.

I’m too soft. Worrying about such things won’t do me any good.

Kujastria said she was not worried about the dungeon. Whether it was her genuine sentiment or not, her message to Silver Face was clear: “So you shouldn’t worry either.”

Hikaru appreciated her concern.