[Translator - Kiteretsu]

    [Proofreader - Kyros]

    Chapter 68

    The seventh dungeon subjugation was similar to the usual.

    “Clear the path.”

    When Kaylen swung his sword, the monsters fell like autumn leaves.

    Afterward, standing before the dungeon core they had arrived at...

    “Alkas.”

    “Yes, my lord.”

    “Cut it.”

    Alkas, dressed in a mana suit, stepped forward and swung his sword.

    Thunk.

    “So close, yet still short. Such a pity.”

    “My apologies.”

    Just like always, Alkas failed to sever the dungeon core.

    However, what followed was markedly different.

    “Eldir. I’m counting on you this time.”

    “...Understood.”

    Eldir, stepping forward after Alkas, had tension written all over his face.

    He equipped the newly supplied Mana Suit Normal, took a wooden sword in hand, and infused it with aura—not forming an Aura Sword, but merely channeling aura into it.

    Crack. Crack-crack.

    The mana suit began to develop small fractures.

    When Eldir furrowed his brows in frustration, Kaylen sharply intervened.

    “Don’t let it distract you. Focus solely on your sword!”

    “...Haahp!”

    Swish!

    The wooden sword shot forward in a straight line—

    —and pierced through the dungeon core.

    Plop.

    Soon after, fragments of the mana suit began to fall to the ground one by one.

    Eldir’s face twisted in displeasure.

    But Kaylen’s lips curled slightly into a faint smile.

    “Well done. At least it didn’t completely break.”

    The Mana Suit Normal had managed to retain its shape despite the fractures.

    Even so, Eldir’s expression did not lighten.

    ‘I thought I controlled my strength well enough...’

    After breaking the core in the first dungeon, Kaylen gave Eldir some advice.

    —“Your sword is unstable.”

    For a moment, Eldir couldn’t accept it.

    Even though Kaylen was stronger than him, he too had reached the level of a Sword Master.

    Hearing the word “unstable” was something he never expected.

    —“You can’t accept it, can you?”

    —“...No, I cannot.”

    —“The evidence lies in the mana suit.”

    —“I still don’t agree. Isn’t Myorn’s mana suit just too weak?”

    To this, Kaylen demonstrated personally.

    He borrowed Alkas’s mana suit, equipped it, and unleashed his power.

    The golden Aura Sword erupted brilliantly.

    “Look at this. Do you see even the slightest crack?”

    Eldir, unable to respond, remained silent. Kaylen then provided a prescription—simple in its content.

    “Start with just creating aura. Continue until the mana suit doesn’t break.”

    Following this, Eldir stocked up on as many Mana Suit Normals as he could from Myorn’s workshop and plunged himself into relentless training.

    Perhaps it was Kaylen’s pointed advice. Eldir succeeded during practice sessions—when there was no enemy in sight, no dungeon core to destroy. At those times, he could control his strength.

    But in real combat, for some reason, he couldn’t manage it.

    Today, at the seventh dungeon core, he managed only to produce minor fractures in the mana suit.

    “Eldir, do you remember the day you became a Sword Master?”

    “Yes, I do. It was the happiest day of my life.”

    “Recall the sword you forged that day.”

    “...What?”

    Recall the sword he had made when he first created an Aura Sword?

    All he could remember was the overwhelming joy.

    How he forged the Aura Sword—it was a blur.

    “Your sword is one of decisive strikes—putting everything into a single blow. But was it always that way?”

    “...It wasn’t like that back then.”

    “Did it change after your encounter with the Hellmeier family?”

    Eldir nodded silently.

    Krundal retrieved a demonic language dictionary and began searching for the characters.

    When he finally found them, his brows furrowed deeply.

    “Subjugation... you say? Lord Kaylen, could you please wait outside for a moment? I need to contact the headquarters.”

    “Of course. All the other dungeon cores had similar inscriptions. I’ll leave one here.”

    “Thank you.”

    As Kaylen left the room, Krundal immediately reported the findings to headquarters. The response came swiftly and urgently.

    [Krundal, a directive has been issued. Immediately purchase all the dungeon cores using guild funds. You may use any amount necessary, but you must secure all of them.]

    “Understood.”

    Any amount of guild funds?

    The headquarters'' reaction was even more serious than when [Colony - Caution] was discovered.

    [Additionally, the Dungeon Guild Alzass Branch is to initiate a Red Alert immediately.]

    “What?! A Red Alert?”

    A Red Alert—the highest state of emergency in the Dungeon Guild, only declared during extreme crises.

    ‘I’ve heard of it, but it’s never been activated before!’

    Krundal was astonished.

    What could be so critical about this dungeon core marked Subjugation?

    [Yes. Activate the Red Alert immediately and await further instructions from headquarters. Additionally, all Civil Squads currently active in the kingdom are to cease operations and return to the city immediately.]

    “Understood...”

    [Do so at once.]

    Krundal rushed out of his office with a grave expression to inform Kaylen of the urgent command.

    “Lord Kaylen, headquarters has issued an emergency directive. The guild will purchase all the dungeon cores with guild funds.”

    He purchased the cores at a steep price and even expedited the purchase of Kaylen’s estate.

    “We’ll process the estate purchase today.”

    The transaction for the estate proceeded seamlessly. The Marquis Albrynx family welcomed the deal.

    “At last, we’ve gotten rid of this estate. You can take the surrounding hill region as well.”

    The Marquis family handed over the estate and its surrounding lands, treating it as if they were disposing of a burden.

    “Then, I’ll take my leave.”

    With the transaction completed, Krundal hurried back to the Dungeon Guild.

    Kaylen, watching Krundal leave, recalled the inscription on the dungeon cores.

    “Colony, Subjugation.”

    Subjugation.

    It carried far more weight than the previous warning of Caution.

    Were the demons preparing to subjugate this land, which they considered a colony?

    ‘This means more than just dungeon portals appearing.’

    Given the Guild''s urgent response, headquarters likely knew something.

    ‘Hmm. If it’s this critical, the situation will reveal itself soon enough.’

    Hearing from outside the office that headquarters had ordered all Civil Squads to return, Kaylen decided to focus on the newly acquired estate for now.

    “There’s a lot to fix.”

    Purchasing the house wasn’t the end of it. Left neglected for so long, the estate required extensive repairs.

    However, there was no reason for Kaylen to handle the repairs personally.

    “So... this is why you called me here?”

    Irene stared at Kaylen in disbelief.

    After carefully selecting and bringing a hundred elves to form a research team, now he expected her to oversee the estate repairs.

    “Yes. Lady Irene, you’re one of the Seven Leaders.”

    “Wait... what does that have to do with fixing this house?”

    “Everything. Surely someone under your command is skilled in this area.”

    Irene fell silent.

    Well, that was true, but...

    ‘Why do I have to handle such trivial tasks?’

    “Lord Kaylen... I came here to conduct research. Although I still don’t know exactly what I’m supposed to be researching.”

    “I know.”

    “I didn’t come all the way to this isolated place near the South River district to do home renovations!”

    “Exactly. That research—that’s why you’re here. Royen!”

    At Kaylen’s call, Royen, who had been organizing the estate, hurried over.

    “Yes, Brother!”

    “Now, revert Drake to his original form.”

    “Drake?”

    Hearing the unexpected name, Irene tilted her head in confusion.

    “Drakia, you may transform.”

    “Very well.”

    The small lizard in Royen’s arms suddenly grew, taking on the form of a dragon.

    The dragon’s entire body glowed with a magical sigil.

    At that moment, Irene realized.

    This magical sigil was her research subject.

    [Translator - Kiteretsu]

    [Proofreader - Kyros]