The Mysterious Child: An Adventure Tale Beginning with Numerology

The 14-year-old girl in the plaza in front of the dungeon was wrapped in a Gothic Lolita dress.

Even from the simple status display, I could tell she was the Dragon Princess. After all, she's a progenitor dragon.

Certainly, the quest request didn't specify that the 14-year-old girl was human... but normally, you wouldn't expect the Dragon Princess to show up. They should have written that.

However, the Dragon Princess's appearance was completely indistinguishable from a human's.

Saaya is also taken aback by the escort target's outlandish chuunibyou fashion, but at a glance, she probably wouldn't realize she's a dragon race.

"I apologize for the wait, Prin... Young lady. And this is Saaya-sama, who will be accompanying us today."

"I'm Saaya. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Saaya, suddenly regaining her composure, gracefully curtsied in greeting.

In response, the Dragon Princess raised her bandaged right arm in front of her face, striking a flamboyant pose. With the eyepatch and bandages in that pose... yep, definitely a chuunibyou patient.

"Saaya, I shall allow you to accompany me as my servant. Take pride in the fact that your name, beautiful as a melody, has been etched into my brilliant mind. And listen well, my name is Shadow Darkness! I am the one who commands the chaotic darkness!"

"......"

It was more severe than expected. Even Saaya is dumbfounded.

"Heh, have you lost your words in fear of my aura... But that too is inevitable for mere humans. It is the world's providence that ignorant humans cannot directly gaze upon my noble soul. That too is the sad fate of being strong. Even as my servant, you are powerless before this overwhelming darkness..."

The chuunibyou girl had a somewhat melancholic expression.

Saaya, for some reason, knelt beside the Dragon Princess with sparkling eyes.

"My deepest apologies, Shadow-sama! This Saaya was captivated by your magnificent presence. Please forgive this unbecoming behavior of a servant."

"Eh?"

The Dragon Princess blinked in surprise at the sudden, splendid servant roleplay.

For some reason, Saaya seems to be the one enjoying this more, her face relaxed with happiness.

"With that said, Shadow-sama, I humbly request your permission to stand by your side as your guard today."

"A-Ahem... That's a good attitude. Very well, I shall allow it, Saaya. I grant you permission to stand beside me."

"I am grateful."

Saying this, Saaya raised her head and stood close to the Dragon Princess.

The Dragon Princess has an average height for a 14-year-old girl. Her build is also that of a growing middle school second-year student. She's about two heads taller than the 10-year-old Saaya, and standing together, they looked like sisters.

When the petite Saaya came to stand next to her, the Dragon Princess pointed at the dungeon with an expression that was desperately trying to hide her joy.

"W-Well then, Saaya. Shall we embark on an exploration of the abyss together?"

"Yes. Let's go!"

"Have a safe journey."

The two set off enthusiastically, seen off by Berlander.

A guard-like soldier was secretly watching over the Dragon Princess from a distance. He seemed to be using a presence concealment skill, but I could see him clearly from my position even further back.

Well, I guess even if it's said to be less dangerous, it's still a dungeon. I'll keep watch secretly too.

We also followed quietly from even further behind.

The upper floors of Bargia's underground dungeon weren't much different from Stoania's dungeon.

The maze surrounded by stone was damp and dark, but the monsters that appeared were all weaklings that even children could defeat.

With Saaya's A-rank adventurer-level status, there wasn't even a one in a million chance of danger, and the Dragon Princess herself was fairly strong too. It seems she really just wanted someone to talk to.

Just as I was stifling a yawn, thinking this would turn into a boring babysitting job, a monster jumped out in front of the chatting Dragon Princess and Saaya.

"Kyukyuu!"

It's an F-rank monster, a mimic cat.

While the Mimic Cat itself is weak, it has the rare skill of being able to transform into other animals. In fact, it had jumped out disguised as a mouse.

Saaya stepped forward and readied her short sword.

"Shadow-sama, please step back."

"Saaya, I have something I want to try. Leave this to me."

"Yes! Please be careful!"

The Dragon Princess stood next to Saaya.

She pointed her bandage-wrapped right arm at the Mimic Cat and lifted her eyepatch with her left hand. What was hidden under the eyepatch was not an evil god's sealed eye or anything like that, but just a normal eye.

"Obey me -- [Forced Subjugation]"

"Kyawuu!"

The moment the Dragon Princess spoke, the Mimic Cat's disguise dissolved.

Changing from a mouse to a cat form, a round crest appeared on its forehead. It's the so-called slave crest that marks subjugation.

"Wow! The mouse turned into a cat!"

"Heh, it seems it has evolved to its true form through a contract with me..."

The Dragon Princess struck a pose of strength.

It had just returned to its original form though.

"Now, come to me, my servant."

"Kyuu~"

"Wow! It's so cute~ Shadow-sama, did you tame it?"

"Indeed. That fierce beast has become a servant of darkness through a contract with me. Your name shall be... Manty."

"Kyu~"

The Mimic Cat was nuzzling against the Dragon Princess's feet affectionately. It was reacting as if it had been her pet since birth. There wasn't a trace of the hostility it had shown just moments ago.

That must have been a Tamer-type skill just now. Even though it's a weak monster, for it to become so obedient so easily, it must be quite a high-performance skill.

I felt the urge to take a closer look at the Dragon Princess's skills, but I somehow restrained myself.

I've decided not to peek at other people's detailed status without permission unless they're criminals or enemies. Certainly, the "Eyes of Fiction" is convenient, but status information is completely private.

There's a difference between being able to see and choosing to see.

As someone raised in an information society, I've decided to maintain at least a minimum level of literacy. How many times have I been tempted to peek at Mererosu-san's status... I've done well to resist.

Well, I won't hold back in emergencies or if I sense danger to my companions though.

"But Shadow-sama, you're amazing. To be able to command monsters like that."

"Heh, my evil eye lures all life into darkness... That's why I usually have to keep it sealed."

So that's why she briefly removed the eyepatch earlier.

But luring into darkness... no matter how you look at it, the Mimic Cat seems to have fallen to the light. It's rubbing its cheeks with a broad smile on its face.

"My servants. The abyss is whispering to me..."

"Yes. The next floor is the 5th. Let's go!"

Saaya nodded and moved forward.

Isn't it amazing that she doesn't need an interpreter?

The party, now a trio with the addition of the familiar, continued on.

When the next monster appeared, the Dragon Princess gave instructions and the Mimic Cat defeated it. It was overwhelming against monsters of the same F-rank. Doesn't it look like its speed has increased to about D-rank?

In this dungeon too, other adventurers had drawn routes on the floors and walls. Therefore, there was little chance of getting lost while progressing. Of course, there were places without guidance, but those were rare.

When they reached the 5th floor, another monster jumped out. This time it was a goblin.

"Go forth, Manty!"

"Kyukyuu!"

The Mimic Cat transformed into a goblin.

While the real goblin was surprised and faltered, the Mimic Cat tackled it. As the goblin fell, the Mimic Cat, now back in cat form, attacked one-sidedly with its claws and fangs.

Soon, the goblin was defeated and turned into materials.

"That's amazing, Shadow-sama. Manty-chan too!"

"Kyukyu!"

"Heh. It is also my duty to protect the peace of the abyss..."

In this way, they continued to progress through the 5th floor.

I sensed something was off near the exit.

"Next is this way."

Saaya, leading the way, turned left at a crossroads. She was progressing without hesitation because, of course, there were arrows left by previous conquerors.

The guard soldier was secretly following about 10 meters behind Saaya, the Dragon Princess, and their familiar, and we were a few meters behind him. We were using perception interference to deceive, so we were walking openly without hiding.

"...Hm?"

What caught my attention was the arrow drawn on the ground.

Somehow, just this one arrow seemed a bit newer. The paint color was the same, but it hadn't weathered as much. Or rather, it looked like it had been forcibly dirtied to look faded.

Just in case, I used x-ray vision to look into the room ahead where Saaya and the others were heading.

It was an ordinary dead-end small room.

"Mm. Explore?"

"No, we don't need to go that far."

I declined Elenora's offer.

The arrow was clearly wrong, but there are all sorts of people in dungeons. Someone might have redrawn the arrow as a prank, or they might be trying to lure adventurers in to rob them. Caution is necessary in these situations, but for now, the room ahead seems to be empty, so there's likely no harm.

Saaya and the others entered the small room. There's no door, so the inside is visible from the outside. The guard soldier was also peering intently at the Dragon Princess, who was tilting her head in confusion, from outside the room.

"Huh? Shadow-sama, it seems to be a dead end. That's strange, the arrow we just saw was pointing this way..."

"...Could this be a conspiracy by the people of light plotting my assassination?"

They're people of light but they're trying to assassinate?

The Dragon Princess, perhaps feeling a bit uneasy, tightly hugged the Mimic Cat at her feet.

"S-Saaya. You should come closer under my protection as well."

"As you wish."

Saaya, noticing the Dragon Princess's fear, moved closer to her and held her trembling hand.

"Eek!"

"Shadow-sama, please allow me to touch your hand for a moment to dispel my fear."

"U-Um... Ahem, I shall permit it."

Saaya held the Dragon Princess's hand as they started to turn back. The Dragon Princess seemed to have calmed down a bit, her cheeks relaxing. Looking at them like this, they resembled a responsible younger sister and an unreliable older sister.

I'll add some big sister points for her. *Ching*

...Hm? Wait a minute.

I sensed something off about this situation.

Saaya and the others trying to leave the room. The guard soldier watching from just outside. Us hiding and watching from even further back.

Something's clearly wrong. No, what's wrong is that I'm saying we're "hiding" when we're boldly standing in the middle of the corridor. Well, maybe that is strange.

Why isn't the guard soldier panicking?

If he's hiding while guarding, he should move to avoid being seen by the returning Dragon Princess.

The fact that he's not doing that means--

"I'm sorry, Princess," the soldier muttered, pushing a part of the wall.

*Clank*

At that moment, a partition fell, blocking the room's entrance.

"Eh?" "Eh?"

The wall blocked the entrance.

Saaya and the Dragon Princess were taken aback. Taking advantage of that momentary lapse in consciousness, I saw another trap activate behind Saaya and the others.

What leaked out vigorously was a white gas.

The gas's property was [Sleep Effect]. Saaya has no resistance to status effects and her level isn't high. The Dragon Princess seemed to be the same, and the two of them began to stagger immediately after inhaling the gas on the other side of the wall.

Maybe I should go help them. Even if there are no monsters in the room, it's not a good environment for young girls to sleep in.

By the way, the guard soldier had started to run away and was passing by us. I don't know why he activated the trap, but I don't feel much need to intervene right now. If anything happens to Saaya, I intend to beat him to a pulp though.

Now, how to get through the wall. Using transfer would be quick, but I'll refrain while the Dragon Princess might still be conscious. It'd be troublesome if I'm seen.

As I was thinking this and waiting, suddenly the floor disappeared.

Not the floor of the corridor we were in. The floor of the small room where Saaya and the others were.

Naturally, Saaya and the others were thrown into the air.

"Elenora, Punisuke, grab on!"

This is no time to just watch.

I quickly transferred into the small room.

The space under the floor had somehow become hollow. And it was quite a deep hole. There was no visible bottom, and I could hear the sound of wind from far below.

The Dragon Princess and the Mimic Cat had already lost consciousness, and Saaya was also asleep, cradling the Dragon Princess's head. Her judgment as a guard was correct, but either way, they'd definitely die from the fall at this rate.

A sleeping gas trap followed by a pitfall... this isn't the kind of gimmick you'd expect in a beginner-level floor.

"Elenora!"

"Mm. I'm fine."

I released Elenora and moved directly below with [Relative Transfer].

I quickly embraced Saaya with my right arm and the Dragon Princess with my left. I considered transferring back up immediately, but there didn't seem to be time for that.

"Shuraa!"

A snake monster leapt out from a crevice in the vertical shaft.

It was trying to bite us as we fell. The appraisal result showed it was highly poisonous. I might be fine, but I can't let it bite Saaya or the chuunibyou girl.

"[Kick Conversion]!"

Since both my hands were occupied, I delivered a kick.

It's the kick version of the [Blade Conversion] series. The principle is exactly the same as [Fist Conversion], so I activated it reflexively. By the way, it's counted as a separate skill, so my skill count increased.

"Juu!?"

What happens when I, with stats far higher than S-rank adventurers, kick? The correct answer is the snake's face exploded. Poison and bodily fluids scattered. Damn.

It probably won't kill just from skin contact, but just in case--

"Elenora, please!"

"Mm. [Wind Curtain]."

Elenora, also falling a few meters above me, enveloped us all in wind protection to prevent the snake's fluids from touching us. Delicate magic control despite free-falling. As expected of Elenora.

Now, the problem is landing.

Although the speed increase due to gravity stops at a certain point, if we land normally like this, we'll become stains on the ground. Whether with my mystical arts or Elenora's magic, we need to time it right to land. The small room from earlier is far above and no longer visible, so we can't transfer back.

"It'd be nice if we could see something soon."

I wonder how many underground floors we've fallen. This is clearly a shortcut, isn't it?

As I was jokingly thinking "Is this okay for an underground dungeon?", I started to faintly see the ground(?). And at that landing point, something huge was writhing...

"Come on, how high-level of a trap is this?"

It's a plant monster, a Man-eater.

The carnivorous plant waiting for prey to fall from above had its mouth, lined with countless fangs, wide open. Sleep gas, pitfall, venomous snake, and now a Man-eater. This combo feels nothing but murderous, doesn't it?

"Eh-- ya, e, unyaaaaaaa!"

Ah, the Dragon Princess regained consciousness.

Waking up to find herself falling, with a giant monster below. No wonder she's screaming and forgetting her character.

"Hey princess, don't struggle."

My strength value is higher, but struggling is still troublesome.

But the Dragon Princess didn't listen to my words and, while crying, she--

"Please, Manty!"

"Kyuuu!"

Unbelievably, she threw the Mimic Cat she was holding down.

The Mimic Cat also fell towards the Man-eater with a face that seemed to say "Leave it to me, master!", but... no matter how you look at it, it's small against an ultra-large opponent. See? It got eaten in one gulp.

"Manty--!"

The Dragon Princess struggled more with a look of despair. Is she an idiot?

Well, I guess it's about time to deal with this.

We'll make contact and land in a few seconds.

"[Kick Conversion]"

I kick. I made a pun about kicking the monster and kicking a kick, but was it not good? No? I see... sorry.

Anyway, the Man-eater that received my long-distance soccer kick lacked the endurance and burst. It became a spectacular but messy firework, truly exemplifying what it means to be scattered to pieces.

"Fueh!?"

"For the landing-- alright, I'm counting on you, Punisuke."

"Understood, nano!"

Punisuke replied energetically and bounced out of Elenora's arms.

The moment it passed us, its body grew enormous in an instant. Punisuke, now large enough to fill the vertical shaft, caught us and began to fall while absorbing the impact more softly than the highest-grade cushion.

The [Gigantification] skill has improved quite a bit.

We sink into Punisuke's body.

"Wapu! Wapu!"

Unlike us who trust Punisuke, the Dragon Princess was struggling desperately.

Does she think she's drowning? But don't worry, Punisuke's body control is almost at the level of being able to use chopsticks now. See, it's made holes around our mouths and noses so we can breathe.

*Bonyun*

Oops, looks like we've landed.

Since we're completely enveloped by Punisuke, I barely felt any impact. To be able to use the elasticity manipulation skill to this extent, isn't my familiar a genius? This time, you can't call it just parental pride.

"Are you okay, nano~?"

Punisuke spat us out of its body and put us down on the ground.

We're a bit covered in slime, but there's no damage. ...Except for the Mimic Cat.

"Hiiee!"

The Dragon Princess, also covered in slime, was paralyzed with fear at the sight of Punisuke, who had returned to normal size. She probably thought she was going to be eaten. Since she doesn't seem to be attacking, I'll leave her be for now.

I wake up Saaya, who's still asleep. The method, of course, is a Cure Potion.

"...Huh? Where are we?"

"At the bottom of the hole. Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Ah, Ruruk. I think I'm fine... Thank you for saving me."

She didn't ask what happened. She's a young girl with high perceptiveness.

Still, we fell from quite a high place. Even using the [Eyes of Fiction], I can't see the small room from earlier at all. We must have come down to around the 50th underground floor.

We landed in a large room where the Man-eater had been nesting. There's only one entrance without a door, and beyond it is a dark corridor. I used x-ray vision, but there's just a maze with no people or monsters. And since there's no visible transfer device, we must be quite deep in the labyrinth.

I'll have Elenora search for enemies later, but first...

"Eek"

We need to do something about this princess who's covered in slime and frightened.