That's One Way to Put It

From the next floor onward, monsters were waiting from the start and would spring into action the moment someone set foot inside.

The early floors were populated by weak monsters, so advancement and clearing proceeded at roughly the same pace.

Strength in numbers was truly a wonderful thing.

"Black Snakes. Takes you back, doesn't it?"

"Not exactly a fond memory for me…"

"Right, that was rough."

"Ugh, so embarrassing."

I recalled the first time I'd sent Azu out.

If I recalled right, it was a Black Snake extermination, and to prove she'd done the job, she had to sever their heads and stuff them into a bag.

The bag she'd been using back then had a weight-reduction enchantment, but the quality was nothing special.

So the blood had seeped out and dripped everywhere, and by the end, Azu was covered in gore and near tears when I went to pick her up.

"Come to think of it, you were much more reserved and timid back then."

"Living like this, you toughen up whether you want to or not. Right, Master?"

"Yeah, I'm counting on you."

Azu sounded almost sulky, so I smoothed things over.

She really had been there from the beginning, as a slave and as a comrade, always supporting me.

There was no one I could rely on more.

She'd saved my life more times than I could count.

"That was before you bought me, right? She did seem more fidgety than now. And yet Azu was the leader, so I was a bit uneasy. She had real talent in combat though, and grew stronger so quickly that my unease faded…"

Alexia said.

So that had been on her mind.

The team functioned well now, but Alexia apparently didn't listen much to what she was told at first.

Elza had kept things in check while Azu proved herself through ability, and bit by bit they'd bonded.

Well, Alexia's true personality was quite different from my first impression… but this was fine in its own way.

If Alexia had a personality like Lady Anatia or Princess Tianis, dealing with her would be exhausting.

Being able to casually give her a pat on the rear came from that easygoing familiarity.

In that sense, Elza had stayed consistent from the start.

Gentle and considerate by nature. Though she occasionally sought connection.

That said, there had been many times, like now, when she let a mysterious air show through.

Would she eventually tell me about it?

While we chatted, the monsters were all cleared out, and the path to the next floor appeared.

The treasure chest contained several silver coins.

The theologian gasped at the sight.

"These are… quite old silver coins. Probably items used in the Ash Kingdom. How rare."

"The Ash Kingdom. Didn't it perish long ago?"

"Indeed. A nation whose existence was erased. Only ancient texts confirm it ever existed. After its fall, the information was deliberately suppressed."

The Ash Kingdom.

The nation the Ash King, whom Azu and Elza had encountered in the Catacombs, had ruled when he was alive.

According to what I'd pieced together from Elza, it had been a nation of the Creator King faith, destroyed in a clash with the Church of the Sun God.

For relics that old to be appearing here… this tower really was no ordinary place.

Maybe something valuable would turn up.

As we progressed, the monsters grew stronger.

On floors that were multiples of five, distinctly powerful creatures appeared.

On the fifth floor, for instance, there was an Ore-Eating Lizard.

A gigantic specimen held the room like a boss.

Its skin hardness changed depending on the ore it consumed, and this one must have eaten iron, because the soldiers' swords and axes couldn't scratch it.

Magic, however, was another story. Once they switched tactics, it went down quickly.

The rewards improved with each floor.

We confirmed a few trinkets and minor magic items.

For now, since the duke's forces were handling the clearing, there was nothing particular for us to gain.

We took a break after clearing a floor infested with Undead-type monsters.

The ordinary soldiers were starting to struggle, and injuries were mounting.

"Your Grace, a message from the rear guard."

The duke was receiving some kind of report.

Had something happened below?

A short while later, he summoned me.

"We're withdrawing the troops."

"What happened?"

"A contingent from the Church of the Sun God is headed for Alsarm. Word just came from the forces stationed below."

"Finally…"

Duke Baroba had been pressing Archbishop Poplas of the Church of the Sun God hard for an investigation and report on the incident.

Until now, there had been no movement whatsoever, but it seemed they'd finally decided to act.

"Exactly. If they're fulfilling their promise, we need to match them for now. Depending on the outcome, I may have to draw my sheathed sword once more."

"After what they did… Lady Anatia nearly lost her life. Honestly, I can't fathom what they'll try to claim."

"If they mean to settle this, one cardinal's head might do it."

He meant that literally… didn't he.

It seemed Temple Knight Evris, who'd gone on a rampage, had been acting on one of the cardinals' orders. Once the duke found out who that mastermind was, there would be no mercy.

"Still, I can't abandon this tower. An ordinary labyrinth would be one thing, but a 'Tower of God' troubles me. Blessings are one thing, but the prevailing view is that gods no longer walk this world. If a true god resides here, I'd rather make contact before the Church of the Sun God does."

"The Church of the Sun God is exclusionary. They might well try to destroy this place."

Many religions had been crushed or absorbed by the Church of the Sun God in various ways.

Spartia and remote regions with weak Sun God influence were exceptions, but the major cities of both the Empire and the Kingdom had become virtually monolithic in their faith.

If not for the bronze statue incident, that would still be the case.

They put on a pleasant face while acting like invaders.

"Which is why I want you to take over the clearing. I'll station guards at the entrance to seal it off and prevent interference. We're near the border, so it won't be perfect, but it should buy some time."

So that's how it is…