Volume 1 Chapter 56 Confrontation
"Hey, look who it is... I never expected to run into you in a place like this."
Allen, who appeared before me, had a hand on his hip and a smile on his face. There was no sign of the unease he showed when we first met at the adventurers' guild.
Right behind Allen stood four women. They were his party members.
"Huh, S-Rank adventurer Allen's party..."
Chester blurted out, not really addressing anyone in particular. He must have heard the rumors about Dolthos hiring them, but this was the first time he had seen them in person.
Fatina and I had already met Allen's party at the Voltana adventurers' guild. I couldn't remember their faces exactly, but they should all be dressed the same as they were back then.
One of them was a Holy Knight with a shield so large it almost covered her whole body.
Another one was dressed like a thief in crimson leather armor.
Next to her was a woman wearing a purple dress and a black cloak over it. She was probably a magician.
"Ark... why are you here?"
And there was Leanne, my childhood friend who had once visited the town of Voltana with me and joined Allen's party.
Leanne looked at me with genuine surprise, her mouth hanging open.
It must have been quite unexpected for her to come across me in the lower layer of Aquaflow Cavern, a place that only they knew how to enter.
"...Did you dodge it?"
The female magician tilted her head in curiosity and muttered.
The incantation I heard earlier wasn't from Allen.
It must have been her who cast it.
The aim of the unleashed explosion magic was accurate. Although luck played a part in me being able to dodge it, it was also thanks to the increase in my stats, which made me faster.
And that magic was undoubtedly targeting me.
If it had hit me, it would have caused significant damage. If Fatina and Mel were there, they would have been seriously injured.
So basically, it means they won't show mercy to anyone who gets in their way, even if it's a human opponent.
"Why are you attacking us out of nowhere? What are you thinking?"
Fatina shouts as she raises her sword.
"It can't be helped. Only a few can enter the true lower layer of this dungeon. And our goals are probably the same... I don't know where you heard it, but you've also come here searching for something."
Allen spoke calmly as ever, showing no hint of regret. It was probably him who instructed the magician to attack.
"I don't know who you are, but I'm not backing down. If you leave this place immediately, I'll let you go."
A female thief in leather armor stood beside Allen, pulling out a dagger from her waist sheath. At the same time, the Holy Knight and the magician also shifted into fighting stances, ready to battle us.
"If you insist on fighting, we won't hold back!"
Fatina readied her sword and replied to the woman.
Suddenly, Mel stepped forward in front of Fatina and me.
"I won't allow fighting here."
"...Who are you?"
"I am Merletta, the first princess of the Cretia Kingdom. Adventurer hired by my father, put away your sword. That's an order from the princess."
"P-Princess Merletta...? Why are you here?"
When Mer revealed her true identity, the thief woman's expression changed to one of sudden confusion. It seemed like she couldn't bring herself to harm her employer's daughter.
But Allen remained unchanged, with a twisted expression on his face.
"Fiione, wait a moment."
Allen said, and the thief called Fiione sheathed her dagger.
"This is the princess. We knew about the story of you being taken from the castle along with an ancient document because we saw the letter sent to us by your father... Now, let's go back to the castle with us."
As expected, King Cretia seems to be giving false information to his subordinates, just like he did with Iria.
Mel should have escaped on her own from being imprisoned by the king. He's probably covering up that fact and claiming she was kidnapped.
"I have no intention of going back. Adventurer Allen, you came here to retrieve the [Aquaflow Key], didn't you? The key will surely bring disaster to our country. Please give up."
"It's very unfortunate, but that's not a decision we can make. Our employer is not Merletta-sama, but the king."
Mel frowned at Allen's nonchalant way of speaking, showing that he was not willing to compromise. In the first place, Allen is not the kind of person who can be resolved through discussion.
"Alright, let's go home together. If we do it now, your father might still forgive you."
As Allen approached Mel, showing signs of urgency due to his ignored opinion, I stepped in between them and interrupted.
"Stop it."
"Sorry, but I don't want to waste my time dealing with a weakling with a low Level Cap. However, if you insist on getting in the way, I won't hold back."
Allen placed his hand on the handle of his sword on his waist as he spoke.
"Stay away from Ark-sama. If you still want to fight, I'll be your opponent."
Fatina, who had just come right next to me with her sword drawn, glared at Allen.
"You should also stay away from this man. After all, he's only Level Cap 1. It's no match for you, who's Level Cap 100."
"I told you at the Adventurer's Guild. I don't choose my companions for such reasons."
"...Such reasons? You always say interesting things."
Allen walked away from us and towards where his party members were, slowly--
"In this world, only those chosen by the divine with a high Level Cap should stand above. Beings like us live in a fundamentally different world from those with a low cap."
Without any hesitation, he drew his sword from its sheath. It was a beautiful sword with a blue blade. Since Allen was the one wielding it, it was probably very powerful.
"We are inside a dungeon... and no one else can come in besides us. It's common for adventurers to go into a dungeon and never return. In the guild, we were being watched, but here we can act freely. My plan is to defeat those who brainwashed the princess and rescue her."
With Allen's words, his party members all took their fighting stances. It seems like none of them are willing to give up the key.
"Mel, I'm sorry, but there's no room for negotiation."
"...Okay."
"And Fatina, please stay back. I'll handle this on my own."
If I can disable them without using (Death), that would be great. But if they try to harm the three of us, I might have to use (Death) on Allen and the others. But that's my last resort. Our main goal is to get the key, and most importantly, I don't want to show that kind of scene.
"Ark-sama, I will definitely protect you. And I won't forgive this man!"
Fatina readied her sword and didn't step back.
"Mel, it would be helpful if you could support Fatina from a distance. Can you do it?"
"I understand. I'll be fine."
There are five opponents against our four, but Chester doesn't have the skills for attacking, so it'll be tough to fight.
"Don't attack the princess. It's okay to defeat the rest of them."
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