However—

We don’t even know which floor this is. Some of my lightly injured classmates have been calling out to Lili through the large hole in the ceiling for a while now, but there’s no response.

Sitting against the wall next to me, Miku muttered under her breath.

“Hmm~. This is a problem. Do you think this is also part of the curriculum, El-tan~?”

“…Nine times out of ten, it’s probably an accident.”

It’s too much, even for a first-day curriculum. Even if the director of the Royal Lehan Knight School deems casualties acceptable during the curriculum, I highly doubt they’d start with that premise on the first day.

Besides, there’s the fact that a natural dungeon seems to have turned into an artificial one. If it’s the latter, it would be a national treasure. There’s no way untrained students would be sent into it without prior investigation. That’s the job of the Royal Knights.

If it were a known dungeon within the country, even a ten-year-old would be aware of it. But I’ve never heard of such a thing existing in Lean. It’s safe to assume it’s undiscovered.

“But if it’s an accident, I think Instructor Ituka would have come to rescue us immediately. After all, she’s Sword Saint level, right?”

“If you’re trying to cheer me up by pretending to be considerate, there’s no need. This level of adversity—”

I stopped mid-sentence, swallowing my words.

I’m not Blythe right now. I’m ten-year-old Eremia.

“Ah, you figured it out? You’re still a cute ten-year-old, even if you’re skipping grades. Couldn’t blame you for being scared, right?”

“Are you not scared? If you have time to worry about me, focus on yourself. Stay calm at all times.”

“Hmm~. I’m a little nervous, though.”

If we’re within the third floor, there’s no reason why our voices wouldn’t reach through the hole in the ceiling. And I can’t imagine Lili wouldn’t notice an accident that happened in the farthest part of the first floor—unless she left the dungeon immediately after giving her instructions.

Or perhaps...

I shook my head, trying to dismiss the possibility that came to mind.

But Miku voiced it aloud.

“Do you think Instructor Ituka might’ve lost to that monster?”

“Hmph, as if that could happen. Lili Ituka is a Sword Saint-level War Maiden.”

“You never know~. That monster can punch through the dungeon floors with its bare hands.”

True.

I’ve never seen a creature capable of such powerful attacks despite its size. Not even in my previous life.

That said, there are plenty of large-bodied monsters, starting with dragon types, that could break through dungeon floors. I’ve fought against such creatures several times before.

Of course, Blythe had defeated such monsters as well. If Lili is truly Sword Saint-level, she wouldn’t lose.

But Sword Saint-level is ultimately an evaluation from King Kilpus’ perspective.

“...”

Ah, my foolish disciple. You’re still alive, aren’t you? Damn it, now I’m getting worried.

“You look so worried. El-tan, do you really like older women that much?”

“Well, I suppose.”

“Hmm. Oh, is it because you still miss your mom’s breasts?”

“Maybe.”

“Wow, you’re not denying it. Are you a kid or an adult? I can’t tell.”

I was worried, but I had no choice but to put thoughts of Lili aside.

The problem now is what to do next.

“Hey, wouldn’t mine do instead~?”

For some reason, Miku was lifting her own chest from below.

Not even half the volume of Lili’s.

“Yeah, not even close.”

“Oh, I see~.”

She slumped her shoulders in disappointment.

What’s with this little girl? Creepy… What’s her goal? Stop making me more anxious...

There are twenty classmates. In the dim light of the magical lamps illuminating a corner of the darkness, they’re huddled together, protecting the gravely injured person whose ribs were crushed by that monster.

Incidentally, I’m sitting next to that injured person. It seems my classmates are also trying to protect me, likely because I’m just a ten-year-old. Miku, in particular, acts almost like my personal bodyguard.

In other words, they’ve positioned me and the injured person against the wall, while the other classmates form a defensive perimeter around us.

Meanwhile, the uncooperative Void and Oujin are wandering around in the darkness on their own. Ideally, I’d join them, but as I need to keep my true identity as an old man a secret, they wouldn’t accept me.

—Stay out of the way, kid. Just sit quietly.

—I’ll definitely find the path to the upper floors, so Eremia, protect Miss Orunkaim for me.

Void, I can understand. That’s fair.

But Oujin treats me entirely like a child. He probably thinks giving me a role will keep me satisfied as a kid.

Miku, too, seems to think she’s being considerate toward me, constantly chatting me up. I won’t cry over a hardship of this level, you know.

Ah, how frustrating. I wouldn’t mind if this tiny, alluring body turned back into a potato-faced one; I just want to return to Blythe’s body.

The only sound echoing is the voices of my classmates calling out to Lili. Over and over again, they call out, but there’s no response, and no rope comes down.

It seems we’ll have to consider escaping on our own.

That thought had just begun to form when—

“—?”

Miku, who had been leaning against my shoulder and dozing off, suddenly flipped up her red bangs and widened her eyes. Like a stray cat sensing the presence of another creature.

“What is it?”

“Stop! Stop shouting!”

Miku stood up and clamped her hand over the mouth of a classmate who had been calling out for Lili. Tension spread through the group. The classmates who had been chatting fell silent all at once.

“Miku—”

“—”

Miku turned her cat-like eyes toward me, raised a finger to her lips, then pointed in the direction where Void and Oujin had gone.

Everyone turned their gaze that way.

The classmates tilted their heads in confusion. But by then, I had already sensed it too.

“There’s a lot of them...”

The presence was faint. But numerous.

Ahead. Finally, my classmates gasped. I pushed past them to the front, laying my eyes on the approaching group.

With saggy, dark skin, small frames, sparse hair on their pointed-eared heads, and crude clubs made of stone and wood in their hands.

It was a fitting image of grotesqueness.

“Hmph, goblins.”

Monsters. Low-level ones.

For an armed human, they aren’t much of a threat individually, but they always come in groups.

They harm humans, abduct humans, torment humans, and kill humans. Not for sustenance, but without reason. Just as humans might do to insects.

Of course, they don’t speak human language. Communication is impossible.

—Humans call them an enemy race.

The calls for help had drawn them to us.