That Was No Joke

“That… that what….”>

If it had been a dull joke that fell flat, she would have let out a light chuckle and moved on. But contrary to her thoughts, her lips trembled, unable to form a proper sentence. ‘How is this possible?’>

Michael spoke as if he knew she had returned to the past. At that moment, he opened his mouth again. “The Distortion Dungeon has had multiple entrances appear before, so it’s only natural to think that way.” After saying so, he handed her the paper he had been holding. No sign of suspicion or oddness appeared on his face as he looked at her.>

Irene slowly took a breath after accepting the paper. ‘Stay calm. He couldn’t possibly know.’>

It had been a long time since she had recalled the moment of her death. In the dungeon filled with the howls of monsters, she had died while clutching her wounds alone. Not a trace of Michael was to be seen anywhere there. The only thing that had witnessed her last moments was an unknown metal fragment that had emerged from the box. Even when she opened her eyes again, Michael was nowhere to be found. Irene glanced at him. He was intently examining the other records in the document cabinet on the table. Not a single strange expression was visible on him. ‘It’s all my overthinking.’>

Even now, she sometimes couldn’t believe that she had died and come back to life, so how could she possibly believe that someone else knew about it? Irene, having dismissed her suspicions, suddenly remembered the metal fragment she had seen earlier. ‘Thinking about it, perhaps I could ask the Hand of Appraisal to identify it.’>

Pieces of metal identical in appearance, of unknown origin, flooded the dungeon by the dozens every single day. She couldn’t be certain that the artifact would take her back to the past. ‘Still… if there’s any doubt, it’s the only one.’>

If it was the cause of her regression, the Hand of Appraisal would surely tell her clearly, wouldn’t it? But receiving an appraisal was no easy task. First, it cost ten thousand gold to have the Hand examine something once. The fortress only allowed appraisals of items that came directly from dungeons. Many people had brought in strange artifacts that looked like ones because they wanted to have them appraised, even though they weren’t actual dungeon drops. ‘The reward must be reported to all staff members as soon as they leave, so anything not reported couldn’t be appraised.’>

There were two possible methods. The first was to sneak into the fortress and use the Hand of Appraisal. It was, of course, the most absurd idea imaginable. Because the most crucial and frequently used artifact in the fortress was located deep within the alliance building, with countless security guards protecting it. Sneaking into that place was impossible. The second method was to enter the dungeon carrying the metal fragment, report it as if she had found it inside, and request an appraisal. The problem was that it would be difficult to disguise the reward as something that came from the box when they were with other people. ‘Then I should try it when it’s just Michael and me.’ Irene was lost in thought when Michael called out. “Irene?”>

“Ah, yes!” She snapped back to her senses at his voice. “So you were looking at that paper. Do you intend to participate in the raid on the Distortion Dungeon?” “Participate, you say… but you should be the one to go.” “Just call me Michael.” It seemed he was determined to change the way she called him today, no matter what. “Yes, Michael.” Though contrary to her expectations, it didn’t feel particularly awkward to simply call him by name. At that, Michael finally wore a satisfied expression. “After all, you’re planning to participate in this raid too, aren’t you? That’s why I wanted you to come with me if possible.” Irene turned her gaze back to the paper. ‘I planned to enter from the very beginning.’ The Distortion Dungeon this time was one that produced an extraordinary number of reward boxes. Contrary to people’s expectations, no great artifacts appeared, but even small boxes held rewards that were quite satisfying. The Pairs who had entered here back then had described it as feeling like an exciting treasure hunt. So if she found just a few, she could immediately settle her debts at the auction house and the appraisal room. There was another reason as well. “And… if it’s all right with you, I’d like to request another raid. It’s related to the gathering we had together last time.” “With me?” Irene’s voice gradually grew quieter. She had no choice. What she was doing now was quite brazen. The gathering had grown even larger while she was away. ‘The sale of the transparency ring was the greatest form of promotion.’ It was said that they had divided it equally among everyone after the high auction prices. From the next day, people began flocking to join the gathering, wanting to participate with her. Some had grown tired of being the princess’s shield and fighting front-line dangerous monsters, openly complaining about the princess. Others, being low-ranked Purifiers, had grown weary of doing the same work as maids in the gathering. But the complaints about unequal distribution were the loudest. “Low-ranked Pairs get a smaller share of the reward even if they kill the same number of monsters. And that’s the only way to access higher-level dungeons, so they have no choice but to accept it… but…” Many felt a heavy heart, saying they were trading not only gold but their very lives for such meager compensation. “At the very least, Lord Michael wouldn’t use us as mere shields.” “That’s true. I heard he also provides a lot of skill training to the knights.” Those who came to join repeatedly said they wanted to be with Michael. ‘Without Michael, raiding would be difficult.’ Although they had gathered many people, the majority were low-ranked, making it hard to attempt higher-level dungeons yet. Moreover, there were many dangerous factors. In the end, without Michael, the gathering couldn’t grow any larger. “Actually, I had no intention of participating in this Distortion Dungeon.” “What? Why?” She had naturally assumed he would go. He considered dungeon raids his mission. “I suppose it’s because he’s targeting me.” “What? Targeting me?” Irene looked puzzled at Michael’s words. Targeting? Who? Irene asked, but he didn’t answer. Instead, he looked back at the paper. After staring at it for a long time, he turned his head and asked her, “But if it’s for the sake of the gathering, I suppose I must go.” “That’s… probably….” Her voice became even smaller, and finally Irene lowered her head. “I’m truly sorry. I know you don’t like these private gatherings, but if you could just help me a little more…!” “Don’t lower your head in front of me.” Michael lifted her up with a troubled expression. Even so, he still didn’t say he would go with her. After pondering for a long while, he spoke as if he had made a decision. “I will join the raid on the Distortion Dungeon. However, there is a condition.” “A condition? If it’s about wanting purification again this time, that’s my duty, so you don’t need to impose any extra conditions.” At the mention of ‘duty,’ Michael gave her a strangely bitter expression and shook his head. “It’s not about purification. I’d like you to set aside two hours for me once a day before entering the dungeon.” “Two hours? What are you planning to do?” “That will remain a secret. You’ll enjoy it more if you don’t know in advance.” Smiling brightly as he said so, he looked like a mischievous boy. Irene felt her face flush at the strange boyish smile and lowered her head once more. The man before her who was playing such silly pranks, the one who had embraced her madly at night, and the paladin who had always been like an ice wall were all the same person. She couldn’t believe it.*** The next day, Irene had finished preparing her comfortable clothes for the fortress temple as Michael had instructed. He had requested her to come to the fortress temple at the promised time. ‘There’s still time left.’ Irene sat at the table and picked up her pen. The Distortion Dungeon appeared once every ten years, making it a rare phenomenon. That was why the fortress had gone mad in the past, scraping together every scrap of information about the place. Thanks to that, even Irene, who hadn’t been able to enter the dungeon, had sat in a corner of the document cabinet and learned exactly what it looked like, how enormous it was, and how many reward boxes had appeared. Because so many people had entered, the records were surprisingly accurate and detailed compared to other dungeons. That was why Irene had been able to imagine it all while reading the records. Which entrance Michael had gone through, where he had killed which monsters and how, and how he had rescued people and obtained rewards to safely exit the dungeon. Though he was always a heroic figure, the vividness of the records had made her read them over and over. But in his records, he had always been alone. Unlike other knights, he was a person who never allowed Purifiers inside the dungeon. ‘Still, I’ll be going with him this time.’ Unlike her past self who had been 10th rank, 8th rank had some influence. While Irene was sketching the shape of the dungeon from her memories, a loud footstep sounded from outside. Reina entered the room and shouted, “Irene, big trouble! Princess Cecilia…!”