From this chapter onwards, the system messages will no longer be displayed as images, but rather like this [ Text ]. (⋟﹏⋞)

Just as the child’s breathing was about to become rough.

“It’s been well over ten minutes, Ratchet. Do you dare to hate me for longer than ten minutes?”

Belinda, who had been watching Leo’s movements while undoing her coat, spoke coldly as she immediately followed the child after ten minutes had passed.

Sir Penadel was also with her.

“Be-Belinda, Sir.”

As soon as he saw their faces, my anxiety disappeared as if washed away.

Leo left the gazebo and quickly stood in front of Belinda and the knight.

Belinda continued with a sulky expression.

“I’m sorry about the snowman.”

It sounded like sarcasm coming from the person who had crushed the snowman with her own hands.

But Leo shook his head as if he understood her true intentions.

“I’m sorry for saying mean things too. I didn’t mean it.”

“Hmph, of course, you didn’t mean it.”

Belinda retorted curtly and held out her hand.

Leo stared at Belinda’s hand for a moment, not even wearing gloves.

Her once-sharp, brightly painted nails were now trimmed smooth, and the rings that used to grace her delicate fingers had vanished—all because Belinda’s mornings now revolved around embracing Leo.

Though Belinda never voiced her reasons, Leo finally understood.

Each choice was made with care: dulled nails to protect his cheeks, removed rings to spare him from cold metal, and gentle fabrics to comfort his sensitive skin.

He could now see the love behind her silent gestures.

Therefore, Leo took Belinda’s hand without hesitation, and with his remaining hand, he held Sir Penadel’s.

While he had left solitary footprints in the white snow when coming here, on the way back, three sets of footprints served as his guide.

Leo felt immensely relieved by this fact, forgetting that he had ever felt fear in the snow-covered forest.

And that evening, three newly made snowmen stood guard in front of the Blanche family’s villa.

Absurdly, the snowmen’s eyes were made with embedded jewels; the largest and smallest snowmen had blue sapphires for eyes, while the medium-sized snowman had amethysts.

***

To the east of the Chavert Forest, there is a small lake that the locals avoid.

Although it exuded a gloomy atmosphere with mist rising from it day after day, there was another reason why people called it the ‘man-eating lake’ and shunned it.

“This is… the entrance to a dungeon.”

In the middle of the night when the long-awaited full moon had risen.

We had sailed to the center of the lake and were now right in front of the water’s surface where the full moon was shimmering.

Sir Penadel, with his keen senses, surprisingly recognized immediately that the full moon reflected on the water’s surface was the entrance to the dungeon.

Leo, who was sticking close to me and looking around warily like a cautious cat, asked quietly.

“A dungeon…? Then it’s not, not ghosts, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Phew.”

I’m not sure how he grew up to be a child who fears ghosts more than dungeons teeming with monsters, but I suppose I should be grateful that he’s not afraid of dungeons.

“How did you know this was the entrance to a dungeon?”

It was natural for Sir Penadel to ask that.

In <Hirome>, a dungeon refers to a habitat for monsters.

Most of them naturally occur in forests, rivers, or caves, but very rarely, there are places that can only be entered if certain conditions are met.

Just like this lake in front of me.

On a night with a full moon, use the moon’s reflection on the water’s surface as the entrance.

That was the method to enter the dungeon I was looking for, and the reason why this area had gained the notorious reputation of being a ‘man-eating lake’ due to frequent disappearances.

I voiced the excuse I had prepared in advance.

“This forest and lake belong to the Blanche family, or more precisely, they’re my marriage dowry. If any unusual signs were discovered, wouldn’t it be natural for the owner to investigate?”

Of course, it’s a lie.

Fortunately, Sir Penadel seemed to accept my excuse and didn’t question further.

He just spent a long time examining the lake, casting a devilish shadow that eerily matched this gloomy lake onto the water’s surface.

“Bel! There’s a space under the water! Did Sugar just breathe underwater?”

Sugar, who had only dipped her head into the moon’s reflection, flew over to my side and chirped noisily.

It was certain that the dungeon I was looking for was indeed below.

“Do you really have to practice shooting in the dungeon?”

Sir Penadel asked about my intentions again, in a reluctant tone.

I agree that going to a dungeon for shooting practice is insane, but that’s only if you don’t know what’s down there.

“I’m tired of targeting snowballs. It’s time to use something alive as a target. But I can’t use people as targets, so what choice do I have?”

“We don’t know what’s inside the dungeon. I’ll go first, so please enter after some time has passed.”

Realizing he couldn’t change my mind, Sir Penadel finally left those words and dove into the lake without hesitation.

Even though I knew he hadn’t fallen into the water but had moved to the dungeon, the calm lake with not even a single air bubble rising felt somehow unsettling.

At last, the amount of time Sir Penadel had mentioned passed.

Suddenly, Leo carefully gripped my hand and said with a determined expression.

“I’m ready. Even if ghosts appear, I won’t run away. I’ll stay right by your side, Belinda.”

I patted the head of my small and cute knight exactly three times, then stepped onto the full moon’s reflection on the lake’s surface.

***

I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the icy plunge into the lake.

Instead, I felt a moment of weightlessness, a cool mist, and then the security of strong arms around me.

When I dared to open my eyes, I first saw the back of Leo’s head pressed against me—proof that our morning training sessions hadn’t been in vain.

Then I became aware of Sir Penadel, who held both Leo and me safely in his embrace.

Looking up, I caught sight of the moon’s pale reflection dancing across the dark cave ceiling.

Sir Penadel, it seemed, had intercepted our fall from above.

As he set us down and my feet touched the ground, a system window appeared, announcing our entry into the dungeon.

[You have entered the dungeon ‘Slime Paradise’.]

[The exit will not open until 100 slimes are defeated.

Number of slimes defeated: 0/100]

Finally, we’ve arrived at Slime Paradise!

This place is practically a bonus stage.

Because it’s a dungeon where only slimes, the weakest of all monsters, reproduce.

“It doesn’t seem to be a dungeon inhabited by dangerous monsters, but I’ll take the lead.”

Sir Penadel stepped forward, blocking me as I was about to bravely take the lead.

“Then I’ll follow at the very back.”

Leo quickly positioned himself behind me, vigilant for any monsters that might attack from behind.

I stood between the two, awkwardly scratching my cheek.

It was natural for them to be so cautious, not knowing that this dungeon was inhabited only by slimes.

I explored the dungeon with strong escorts in front and behind.

Thanks to the luminous moss spread like a carpet here and there in the dungeon, which looked like a sea cave, the interior wasn’t too dark.

I kept checking to make sure Leo was following well.

The reason I brought Leo to the dungeon was because the stats that could be gained through monster hunting were considerable.

Moreover, this is purely my personal thought, but it seemed that something like proficiency, which isn’t expressed in stats, also increased.

At that moment, I felt a clear presence from inside the cave, noticeable even to me.

It was a sound more like kneading thick mud rather than the cry of any creature.

I drew my magic pistol from the leather holster worn over my stylishly dressed hunting outfit and gripped it in my hand.

Just in case, I bought and brought plenty of mana potions.

I know it’s wasteful to use mana potions just to defeat a few slimes, but you never know what might happen.

Still, I wasn’t too worried.

The opponent is a slime! Among monsters…

Kuwooooo-.

I was going to say the weakest…

“……”

My thoughts came to a halt at the appearance of the slime that finally revealed itself.