Chapter 181: Piece of Cake

A real dungeon is here?

But that wasn’t the important part.

‘It seems like the prince knew there was a dungeon all along.’

Was he pretending not to know?

Nathan looked at Ian, sweating nervously.

But regardless, Ian casually changed the subject.

“Oh right, you can set off that flare now.”

“Yes…? Oh! That one?”

Nathan pulled the flare out from his pocket and ignited it.

Pee-ee-ng! Bang!

In an instant, green smoke spread into the air.

The mercenaries, upon seeing the signal, moved toward the destroyed unmanned mine.

“Those guys are quick.”

“Did you give a proper explanation to them about the flares, Sir Nathan?”

“The red one is for a full assault. The green one means to come to the flare’s location and secure the area while keeping watch.”

Nathan’s explanation was precise.

Initially, the flare was intended to eliminate the Third Prince, Louis, to seize control of the ruins.

The plan was to prevent others from even approaching.

In truth, both the unmanned mine and the underground dungeon were part of the Helgaia territory, so there was no real need to go to these lengths.

‘But you never know about people’s hearts. The grass always seems greener on the other side.’

Moreover, Ian had many enemies.

There was a possibility of infiltration or theft.

Hence, he decided that it was best to completely seal off the area with the mercenary groups.

So that no one could enter the dungeon.

As Nathan observed the advancing mercenaries, he rummaged through his pockets.

“What should we do with this? We have one more flare remaining.”

“Keep it with you. There’s no need to set it off right now.”

It was a backup flare, just in case.

It was a relief they didn’t use the backup flare, but if they had, it would have been a double-edged sword that could endanger them as well.

However, that wasn’t the main concern at the moment.

“Ensure the mercenaries are instructed firmly to prohibit anyone from entering here.”

“It seems Heinkel is approaching.”

Nathan relayed Ian’s directive to Heinkel, who hurried over.

The mercenary captain, Heinkel, had kept the mercenaries stationed outside the unmanned mine.

He then mobilized the remaining mercenaries, excluding the guards, to deal with the enemies sent by the First Prince and Garcia.

Most of those who were already dead or injured were sent to Helgaia’s prison.

Ian surveyed the scene with an impassive gaze.

‘Only I and my people should know about this place.’

At that moment, Nathan cautiously asked,

“Did you know from the start that it would turn out like this?”

“What do you mean?”

“The earthquake. And… I was unaware of the existence of a dungeon in the mine.”

“Well, I’m as new to this place as you are.”

Ian’s eyes rolled as if genuinely unaware.

Nathan looked at him as if he could see through his mind.

“For someone supposedly encountering this for the first time, you seem remarkably composed.”

“Uh. Wow. How Surprising. Who would have thought such a place existed? I was so taken aback that I was at a loss for words.”

“…”

Nathan stared at him in disbelief. But Ian paid no heed to his expression and proceeded further inside.

“Alright, let’s open the treasure chest.”

“W-Wait! Your Highness! It’s dangerous! Let’s go together!”

Nathan hurriedly followed Ian into the dungeon.

***

Meanwhile, Louis was departing from the Helgaia territory accompanied by his knights.

In that moment, a knight approached and asked,

“Are you certain it’s safe to proceed this way?”

“Is something amiss, Sir Owen?”

“I just have a nagging feeling that we might be walking into a trap set by the Seventh Prince.”

It was understandable.

As someone who had witnessed the dealings between Louis and Ian, Owen felt uneasy.

At his words, Louis’s brow furrowed.

“I’m offering military strength, and the youngest is providing the funds. Isn’t that a decent deal?”

“Yes, but it seems like we are at a disadvantage.”

“Absolutely, Your Highness. Who knows how much support the Seventh Prince will actually deliver?”

The knights all shook their heads, seemingly puzzled.

They suspected this might be Ian’s ploy to weaken Louis’s knight forces.

“We might end up with mere scraps in return.”

“Meanwhile, we’ll be confronting enemies head-on with our swords. The potential losses could be substantial.”

“Duke Garcia is not someone to underestimate. The crimes of his son Ceres have kept him confined in the palace. If he gets out, it might not be a good choice to be close to the Seventh Prince.” Ꞧ�

Louis nodded in agreement with their concerns.

“You’re correct. It’s a plausible outcome.”

“Then why agree to his terms? We could have negotiated for more favorable conditions.”

“For example… Ask for Invisibility and Swift?”

“Well… if possible, it would be even better to get Sir Fiosen, who is called the Iron Wall.”

Louis burst into laughter at the knights’ words.

“You guys are too greedy.”

“However, shouldn’t we receive that much to match the weight?”

“After all, there’s only one throne. Isn’t it inevitable that we’ll eventually clash with the Seventh Prince?”

However, Louis shook his head.

“No, now is not the time for internal conflict.”

“Why?”

“Because Duke Garcia is not the only enemy.”

“Pardon?”

“There’s a much bigger figure behind Garcia. An enemy we can never defeat unless we join hands with the youngest.”

It was the First Prince.

Currently, there were only a handful of people who knew he was still alive.

If the First Prince and Garcia joined hands, they had to be eliminated first by any means necessary.

“Either way, we wouldn’t incur that much loss,” one of the knights argued.

“But we’re up against Duke Garcia!”

“What the youngest wants is to attack the merchants under Duke Garcia. No matter how strong the merchants are, their power is limited.”

“That’s true. The most they can hire are wandering knights.”

The Third Prince smiled.

“Moreover, there’s no need for excessive concern. If the youngest is wise, he won’t send a mere pittance.”

The enemy was simply too formidable.

Ian knew that eliminating the First Prince and Garcia had to be a priority rather than confronting Louis directly.

“In the meantime, we’ll cut off the enemy’s eyes, ears, hands, and feet, and with the money the youngest sends, we’ll reinforce our forces.”

“Ah, I see… that’s your strategy.”

“It’s a win-win for us. With the money and information the youngest sends, we’ll easily acquire experienced knights with various combat skills.”

“Indeed, as expected of Your Highness. You had everything planned out.”

The knights nodded in agreement.

They felt proud of the lord they served.

However, one knight appeared perplexed.

“But won’t you regret it in the end?”

“What do you mean?”

“The ruins. It’s definitely on that mountain, isn’t it?”

“Ah…”

Juan’s words made the other knights agree.

They remembered the effort they had made to find the ruins.

Although they were knights who typically didn’t enjoy reading, they had practically lived in the royal library for the sake of Third Prince Louis.

“It wasn’t just a day or two. We scoured for months to find even a trace.”

“We searched the library and even the mountain like crazy…”

“We’ve practically been camping out every day without even a proper inn,” another knight chimed in.

In truth, their hardships wouldn’t have mattered as much if they had only been able to locate the ruins.

But ultimately, they had not found it.

“The reports say there’s an enormous treasure hidden there…”

“If we had found that ruin, we wouldn’t have needed support from the Seventh Prince at all.”

“I’ve heard that just one proper ancient relic could sustain a family for generations. It’s such a shame.”

Certainly, the knights weren’t wrong.

Even Louis nodded in agreement.

‘If even half of what was written in the reports is true, we could have obtained an incredible fortune.’

If things went well, a new duchy could be born that could surpass Garcia’s.

Especially if the ancient magical artifacts mentioned in the texts still existed…

‘We could mass-produce items worth their weight in gold. If that happens, the line of succession, as well as the balance of power on the continent, could change completely.’

Ancient relics and magical tools held such value.

Especially if it was an artifact dungeon in the form of a legendary forge, it could indeed lead to the birth of a new royal family.

However, Louis merely smiled.

“It’s alright.”

“Why is that, my lord?”

“It’s a place that even exceptional knights like you have been unable to find, let alone me pouring my own efforts into the search.”

“!”

“If we couldn’t locate it, who else could?”

It was indeed an arrogant statement.

But Louis could say that because he believed in his own skills and the skills of the knights he had with him.

The knights also agreed.

“That may be true…”

“It’s just disappointing. If the legends are real…”

“It would have been a real help to Your Highness.”

Juan seemed disappointed.

“Didn’t we feel an earthquake recently? Could it be that the ruins have been revealed because of it?”

If that were true, it could mean that they had inadvertently done the Seventh Prince a favor.

They could turn back now and seize the ruins.

However, Louis shook his head.

“We’ve already promised to join forces. You are my knights. As your lord, I will never go back on my word.”

“But…”

“Moreover, there is another factor at play.”

“What is it?”

“Exploring the ruins is never easy. No matter how swift Sir Nathan might be, I wouldn’t want to face the guardians that lie within.”

“Ah!”

Guardian.

It was a term referring to the ancient guardians who protected the dungeon.

They were monsters stronger than knights, and they couldn’t be easily defeated with ordinary swords.

At least, there were usually dozens of guardians that appeared in a dungeon.

Dozens of knights were needed to defeat them all.

So Louis couldn’t help but smile.

“The youngest has almost no knight force. If he really found that dungeon…”

Wouldn’t he have to ask for my help?

At Louis’s gaze, the knights all grinned.

They understood their lord’s intentions.

“No matter how high the youngest climbs, he’s still within my reach.”

And the same held true for Louis.

***

Nathan was genuinely surprised.

“Wh… what are these things!”

It was because of the strange monsters that appeared in front of him.

He tried his best to swing his sword, even activating Oath.

But…

Clang!

His sword was easily deflected.

In contrast, the enemies boasted tough skin, unscathed by his attack.

These were the guardians he had only heard about in rumors.

The gatekeepers of the dungeon were blocking his path.

But then, at that moment—

“Step aside.”

“B-but if I do that, Your Highness will be in danger…”

“I’m fine, so please step back.”

With a reluctant expression, Nathan backed away.

At that moment, Ian stepped forward and threw something from his pocket.

Boom!

A tremendous explosion ensued, hurtling the monsters backward.

The once-golden-skinned creatures now lay battered beyond recognition.

Ian smirked at the scene.

“That was effortless.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s nothing special.”

Nathan couldn’t understand this situation at all.

Not only the sudden appearance of the artifact dungeon, but also the prince easily subduing those dangerous guardians, and then proceeding to defeat hordes of monsters without breaking a sweat.

‘What kind of prince is he…’

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t bring himself to believe it.

This prince, who had lived his entire life as a serf, looked as if he had the wisdom of someone who had lived for decades.

Just then—

“It appears we’ve reached the treasure chamber.”

Ian gestured towards a colossal golden door adorned with depictions of a dragon and a bird.

Then Ian called out to Nathan.

“What are you waiting for? Quickly open the door.”

“Am I the one to do it?”

“Then shall I, the weak one, open it?”

Nathan looked at Ian with an incredulous expression.

Yet, bound by his knightly duty, he dutifully complied with Ian’s command.

Creak!

And the golden door swung open.

Author's Thoughts

To my wonderful readers, thank you for your continued support! May the coming year bring you new adventures, exciting discoveries, and the courage to pursue your dreams. Happy New Yea