The Lady of the Night of the Contract
Irene was puzzled by Michael’s words.
Even with the ring boosting her purification power, an eighth-rank purifier did not have many tasks available.
‘Perhaps I could ask him to hand over any artifacts I designate from dungeons later.’
That would make gathering ten thousand gold even more difficult, but there was no choice but to tackle the situation at hand.
“Understood. Still, I worry whether I can fulfill what you ask of me.”
At her reply, he gave a faint smile, as though he had anticipated every concern.
“You need not worry, Your Highness. Only you can do what I ask.”
Michael turned and headed back toward the banquet hall.
The few people already inside the hall brightened at the sight of him and hurried over.
Cynthia and Reina both smiled warmly when they spotted Michael.
“Sir Michael! My name is Dennis Hopper. I am honored to meet the man I have always admired.”
“I am Gilbert Owen. Though you may not remember, last year I followed you into the mid-level dungeon raid.”
The knights who had arrived just moments ago surrounded Michael without hesitation, eager to speak with him.
That alone was enough to make things go smoothly.
‘At least I have managed to form five pairs.’
If so, I must first raid the dungeon with these knights and give them a proper reward.
Only then would they feel inclined to boast to the other pairs about what they had gained, and the act of raiding alongside Michael would become another source of pride for them.
‘The real issue is whether these knights will be satisfied with mid-level dungeon rewards.’
In truth, many reasons had kept the pairs from attending the princess’s gathering today.
Some had been unable to join because their purifier partners had fallen out with the princess’s faction, while others had been driven away for demanding too many rewards.
There were also knights who felt their own abilities were strong enough that they no longer needed to join forces with others.
Gilbert Owen was one such knight, who had kept talking beside Michael.
‘That man actually did raid a mid-level dungeon alone with his purifier. It was tough, but he did it.’
Of course, the dungeon was small even among mid-level ones, but even that level of accomplishment marked Gilbert as one of the top five knights inside the fortress.
‘To keep these men satisfied, mid-level rewards alone will not be enough.’
Irene tried to recall a suitable reward spot among the remaining mid-level dungeons and the new ones that would appear soon.
No matter how she thought, the only place worth considering was the mid-level dungeon that yielded the Quiet Stone, and that was exactly what she had originally planned to target.
‘Moreover, even the Quiet Stone might not be enough to satisfy them.’
Had Michael raided so many dungeons that he had grown used to the rewards?
The man who should have been the least greedy was, ironically, the one who brought in the highest rewards across the entire continent.
‘That is why knights who enter the dungeon often call out his name before going, begging for the same generous rewards he receives.’
Although Michael had never asked for it, he had become the symbol of wealth itself to the knights.
If they raided the first dungeon with him and received only ordinary rewards, they might feel even more disappointed.
At that moment, while Michael was speaking with the others, his gaze shifted to Irene.
For a second their eyes met, then he turned away and addressed the knights around him.
“We will depart for the raid immediately tomorrow.”
“Oh! Which dungeon will you raid?”
Michael replied with a smile.
“Level 02 high-rank dungeon.”
The knights and even Irene tilted their heads in confusion.
Only a short while ago he had raided the Level 01 high-rank dungeon. There should still be no Level 02 yet.
Just then, someone rushed in from the document storage, waving a notice paper frantically.
“Everyone, look! Level 02 high-rank dungeon has just appeared!”
The hall erupted in a murmur of excitement.
Irene felt her heart drop to the floor.
She hurried over to Michael and asked urgently.
“You knew a high-rank dungeon would appear soon, didn’t you?”
She tried to keep her voice steady, but it trembled badly.
Irene already knew what dungeon would appear because she had come from the future.
But how could Michael know about it…
Michael answered her question with perfect calm.
“I informed the fortress staff before I came. While I was on my way to raid another nearby dungeon, I happened to witness the new one appearing. As the discoverer, I hold the right to raid it first.”
“Ah…”
At his reply, Irene felt embarrassed.
She had assumed that if she knew the future, everyone else would too. How foolish.
‘I need to be more subtle about it.’
“I had planned to head there right away, but the alliance has yet to officially assign the number, and I wanted a little rest first. If you do not mind, would you care to join me?”
“Of course!”
“We would be honored if you came with us!”
The knights who had not been invited to the princess’s gathering had never dreamed of raiding a high-rank dungeon.
But Michael was offering to take them.
Joy bloomed across every pair’s face, except for Irene, who wore a troubled expression.
“Sir, I had asked for a mid-level dungeon…”
“It is fine. We were going to raid anyway, and this will give the other knights a chance to face stronger monsters. Besides, after seeing what happened last time, I think we need to help them become stronger.”
“I understand. Thank you sincerely for your kindness.”
Irene bowed deeply to him.
Things had gone better than she expected, and she could not stop the corners of her mouth from lifting.
She had to maintain the calm act she had been putting on, after all.
Then their eyes met.
‘Did I look too eager?’
He was not the type to offer his services to the gods.
So even if he was helping, it would be difficult for him.
Still, Michael stared at her intently, then spoke.
“I know the purpose of this dungeon. It is to give them sufficient rewards.”
“…Yes.”
“Then how about we claim our share from this raid? They will receive even more.”
“Is that allowed?”
Irene had actually been the one to suggest it.
Right now, giving these knights even a tiny bit more reward was the most important thing.
‘I will simply receive my reward from the next dungeon.’
Since we had started this, I had to focus on growing the influence of this gathering.
“Of course it is.”
“Thank you.”
Irene was genuinely grateful for his thoughtfulness.
Even after giving up his own share, he was still helping the gathering.
“You are most welcome. Then I will take my leave to prepare for tomorrow.”
Michael bowed slightly and turned away.
A smile lingered at the corner of his mouth, as though he were happy about something.
After Michael left, Irene saw the group of excited people.
The heavy gloom that had lingered earlier vanished in an instant.
Everyone was buzzing with excitement over the fact that they would raid the high-rank dungeon with Michael.
Even the knights who usually maintained a serious atmosphere looked like boys heading out on their first hunt, filled with anticipation.
Irene felt a strange sensation.
This was the first time she had attempted something new here.
And she was doing it to confront Princess Cecilia, who had once been the very person she feared and avoided.
It might end in failure from the start…
‘It will succeed.’
Irene clenched her trembling hands.
A strange sense of satisfaction welled up inside her.
She had never felt this way before.
At first she had only wanted to change the future and make the remaining life in the fortress a little easier for the people around her.
‘I want to do better.’
Irene decided she would make this gathering longer and larger than ever.
***
The next day, everyone who had been at the banquet the previous night stood before the Level 02 high-rank dungeon, fully armored.
The alliance staff were reporting the raid members when several people came galloping toward them in a hurry.
“Oh, those are the pairs who were not at the banquet yesterday,”
Reina recognized the newcomers and widened her eyes.
They dismounted as quickly as they could and bowed deeply, almost obsequiously.
“Good day. We were not feeling well yesterday and could not attend the banquet. We came late to join you all.”
They must have rushed here after hearing about the high-rank dungeon raid with only a few people.
But it was not just one pair.
Looking behind them, Irene saw several other pairs approaching as well.
‘It makes sense.’
When raiding a high-rank dungeon for the princess’s gathering, at least thirty pairs or more usually joined.
Today the total would barely exceed ten pairs.
‘High-rank dungeon rewards are stable, so even without an artifact they will receive decent pay.’
With fewer participants, the rewards from the princess’s side would be far less than what they would gain here.
Besides, they would not have to set aside any portion for the gathering fee, so they would earn even more.
Moreover, rewards were not the only benefit.
Knights could learn a great deal by watching Michael fight monsters alongside their ideal.
The participants today would learn the skills needed to survive against stronger monsters by watching Michael.
Such experience could never be bought with money.
‘Thinking about it this way, it would be foolish not to join.’
So the knights who had been cautious yesterday had come without shame.
It was not ideal, but they could not turn them away now. They needed every extra person to grow the gathering.
‘Surely some of them came at the princess’s invitation, but that is all the better.’
After the raid, they would report back to the princess’s gathering about what happened.
‘With such a large reward, they will want to boast not only to the princess but to others as well.’
Then another banquet might be held, or the gathering would spread naturally without effort.
The alliance staff checked the numbers and immediately began admitting everyone.
Irene took Michael’s hand and stepped inside.
It was not an unstable dungeon, so there was no need to hold on tightly.
But to appear intimate with Michael, she deliberately grabbed the hand he offered.
Just before entering, Michael bowed slightly and leaned close to her ear, whispering.
“Stay close to me at all times. There are many people I need to watch over today, so I might lose track of you.”
“…Yes.”
Ever since they had raided the dungeon together, Irene had grown a little less afraid of the past trauma.
Still, she had not completely forgotten the fear of death.
“Then let us enter.”
With those words, Michael and Irene stepped into the dungeon together.
A few hours later.
‘Is this possible?’
Irene could not believe what she was seeing in front of her eyes.