Chapter 55: Beyond the Gate (1)

Chloe quietly closed her fan.

Surprise filled her face as it was revealed.

“The gate…?”

I, too, looked at the gate without a word. We had entered a deserted wasteland, devoid of any sign of human activity.

A green gate, about 2 meters in radius, was summoned in the air.

“It’s different from a normal gate. A green gate means the dungeon’s master is definitely a Type 3 magical beast. But the gate’s appearance is much more ominous.”

Ominous violet sparks flickered ceaselessly around the gate.

Anton responded to my words.

“That’s right, Count Julian! I’ve seen many gates summoned in my territory, but this is the first time I’ve seen one with such an ominous feeling!”

I briefly recalled the settings of Demon Survival. Gates were a kind of energy source that allowed magical beasts to move.

Among them, the largest energy source was undoubtedly the super-large gate, the Chaos Gate. The closer a gate was to the Chaos Gate, the larger the scale of the subsidiary gates it created.

‘Among them, particularly large gates evolved into nests.’

Conversely, the further away from the Chaos Gate, the smaller the scale of the spontaneously generated gates.

This was because the energy called demonic power, possessed by gates and magical beasts, decreased due to the distance.

‘That’s why the appearance of a Type 2 magical beast’s spontaneous gate in the Colosseum during the school opening was an anomaly.’

The closest Chaos Gate to the Imperial City was in the Old Imperial City. The distance between the two cities wasn’t that far.

But it wasn’t close enough for a high-ranking magical beast like a Type 2 to suddenly open a spontaneous gate and appear.

Moreover, Holy Obelisks were installed throughout the Imperial City. Their function was to block the demonic power present in the atmosphere.

The Imperial City used these obelisks to prevent the summoning of dangerous high-ranking magical beasts.

Therefore, most of the magical beasts appearing in the Imperial City were low-ranking. Lower-ranking magical beasts didn’t require much demonic power to open gates. So, they had a wider range of activity.

It was also the lower-ranking magical beasts that mainly exploited the blind spots of the Holy Obelisks.

So, the incident at the Colosseum was unprecedented. It wasn’t surprising that the Order Summit kept it a secret.

Chloe closed her eyes for a moment, then fully opened her fan and held it out towards the gate.

“It’s definitely different from a normal Type 3 gate. The way the tip of my fan vibrates feels different.”

As she said, the tip of her fan trembled even though she wasn’t waving it.

“My fan is a special magic tool. It reacts sensitively to a magical beast’s demonic power. If it’s reacting this strongly, the dungeon beyond the gate might be much more dangerous.”

Anton’s expression became serious.

“Indeed. The magical beasts that emerged from that gate massacred the inhabitants of three villages. Even the soldiers of our territory gathered here, who are considered elite in this area… couldn’t even touch them!”

The number of magical beasts reported in the request form was clearly one Type 3 and three Type 4. Judging by rank alone, it shouldn’t have been impossible for about 50 territorial soldiers to catch even one.

However, in the report during dinner yesterday, it was said that the territorial soldiers couldn’t even catch a single Type 4. This was evidence that they weren’t ordinary magical beasts.

Anton continued.

“Those magical beasts grew stronger by preying on the villagers and other nearby living beings. We couldn’t subdue them no matter what we tried, so we had no choice but to request help from Pantheon.”

I replied.

“You’re right, Sir Anton. It’s difficult for ordinary soldiers to deal with magical beasts. Entering the dungeon is even more reckless.”

According to what I heard yesterday, the quality of Niver’s territorial soldiers wasn’t high, typical of the countryside. Only Anton, the lord and a low-ranking knight, could use mana.

Since Pantheon was a gathering place for talented individuals from all over the country, most of them were mana users. But in the entire Empire, their numbers were not high. It was only natural.

Seeing our serious expressions, Anton hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

“Forgive my rudeness, but… it seems that you two also find this gate dangerous. You’re right. There’s no need for you to push yourselves. We, who have experienced it firsthand, know the dangers well. It’s not shameful to give up on the subjugation.”

It seemed Anton had made up his mind. I replied.

“But if we leave the gate unattended, won’t the territory be harmed again?”
“That’s true, but…”

The territorial soldiers around Anton murmured. If we, the Golden Wing Squad members, gave up, someone higher up would have to take action.

Naturally, that would be the Imperial Guard. But it was highly unlikely that the Imperial Guard would rush to this remote border village.

Anton raised his hand to quell the soldiers’ commotion.

“The soldiers here have lost their comrades and families to those magical beasts, so their desire for revenge is beyond words. But you two are precious individuals, and very young. So, we can’t force you to risk your lives.”

The territorial soldiers hung their heads with gloomy expressions. But the lord Anton’s words weren’t wrong.

Having witnessed the danger of the magical beasts firsthand, they couldn’t recklessly ask us to fight.

Chloe also seemed to agree, slightly covering her face with her fan.

I could guess her expression without looking. A noble like me shouldn’t push myself for such a trivial village. As expected, she spoke.

“Count Julian, as the lord said, there’s no need for us to push ourselves. It would be better to return…”

But I cut Chloe off.

“Chloe, we’re entering the gate. Get ready.”
“What? Count Julian, what are you talking about?”

I spoke loudly, as if for all the territorial soldiers to hear.

“Pantheon’s Golden Wing isn’t a place where only nobles can enter! Especially Chloe here, Lady Chloe de Aetern, the student representative of the Alchemy Order. Her skills are renowned even in the Imperial City!”

A commotion arose among the soldiers again. On the way here, the soldiers had only shown interest in me, a descendant of Reinhardt.

Moreover, Chloe had been wearing a displeased expression, as if she didn’t want to mingle with mere soldiers. So, the soldiers probably thought of her as nothing more than my attendant.

‘The Aetern Marquisate is famous for its trading company. And although they do have alchemy…’

I continued to praise Chloe in front of them.

“A Golden Wing Squad member can easily handle a Type 3 magical beast. It’s naturally not a difficult task for Chloe. Moreover, telling her, a student representative of an Order, to return like this would be an insult to the reputation of the Aetern Marquisate.”

One of the soldiers who heard my words exclaimed.

“I heard about it from a relative living in the Imperial City! Pantheon’s student representatives are already as skilled in combat as members of the Imperial Guard. As the count said, a Type 3 magical beast might be nothing to them.”
“That’s right! I heard it too. Especially the Golden Wing Squad, they’re evaluated as the next core members of the Imperial Guard.”
“Really? Then there’s hope!”

The soldiers cheered at my words. I quickly soothed Anton, who looked embarrassed.

“Furthermore, I am also a member of the Golden Wing Squad and a descendant of Reinhardt. For the two of us to give up without even trying would be a hindrance to our future. Don’t worry, Sir Anton.”

Then, I drew my Imperial Sword in front of the soldiers and shouted.

“Moreover, we cannot leave the danger that has befallen the Niver territory unattended! Sir Anton, the lord, helped my grandfather protect the Empire. So, the Niver territory is like a blood alliance with the Essenmunt Margraviate. Turning our backs on this place would be against the pride of Reinhardt! It would also be a dereliction of our duty as high-ranking nobles. Don’t worry! I will definitely save this place!”

The soldiers cheered again.

“Reinhardt!! Reinhardt!! The great Reinhardt!!”

Swept up in the atmosphere, Anton couldn’t help but say,

“As expected… It’s exactly like the heroic figure of Margrave Wilhelm I saw in my youth! The bloodline of a great noble family truly cannot be deceived! Such unwavering courage! I, Anton, am truly moved!”

I was a little embarrassed by my own words, but heroic actions greatly increased the proficiency of the title, Successor of Reinhardt, so there was no need to avoid them.

Chloe, who was watching me, resignedly covered her face with her fan. I said to Anton,

“You flatter me, Sir Anton. And if it’s truly dangerous, we’ll use a Return Stone to come back. Pantheon’s reserve squad members are provided with Return Stones.”

Of course, using a Return Stone would exclude us from missions for a while. Naturally, I had no intention of using it.

I was confident in clearing this dungeon. In fact, the dungeon beyond this gate was one I had cleared countless times in Demon Survival.

As a difficult dungeon, it was a treasure trove of proficiency. Moreover, there was a special reward item that could only be obtained through Anton, the lord of Niver.

That item was one of the main reasons I chose Niver as my mission location.

“So, don’t worry too much. We’ll return safely.”

With those words, Chloe and I stepped into the gate.

With a brief wave of nausea, the surrounding space went dark.

And when everything brightened again, Chloe and I found ourselves in a completely different space.

Chloe was silent for a moment, perhaps a little displeased with my impulsive actions. But soon, she opened her mouth in surprise at the surrounding scenery.

“Where in the world…?”

When magical beasts didn’t emerge from the gate, they created a subspace called a dungeon within it to strengthen their power.

The dungeon wouldn’t disappear unless the boss magical beast was defeated and the gate’s core was destroyed.

Therefore, directly entering the gate and clearing the dungeon, like we were doing now, was the standard magical beast subjugation method.

But the scenery unfolding before our eyes was completely different from a typical dungeon. Chloe, uncharacteristically flustered, said,

“I’ve never seen a dungeon like this…”

The sky was filled with dark clouds. Around us were collapsed roads and the remains of giant buildings.

It was as if a ruined modern city was spread out before us.

“Indeed. An unfamiliar sight.”

Of course, it was actually familiar to me. It looked like a modern city turned into a post-apocalyptic ghost town.

The setting of Demon Survival was Iceland, a medieval European fantasy world. But the current appearance of the dungeon was more similar to the reality I came from than to Iceland.

However, looking closely at the details, it was different from modern buildings. It felt like medieval European buildings had been extended upwards to create skyscrapers.

It was a strange landscape, a mixture of modern and fantasy architecture.

I knew from Demon Survival which era this dungeon copied. The appearance of the “Old Empire” mentioned in an ancient book kept in the Imperial Palace was just like this.

I calmly said,

“Don’t panic, Chloe. Magical beasts originally grow by feeding on the power of chaos, demonic power. So, there’s no rule that dungeons have to appear in a fixed form.”

My words seemed to calm Chloe down. She briefly covered her face with her fan, and when she revealed it again, her expression was back to normal.

Then, as if recalling what I had said earlier, she spoke.

“This is your first combat mission, Count Julian, yet you’re so composed. And what was that you said earlier? You praised me so much, it was unlike you. I was quite surprised.”

It seemed she was bothered by the praise I had showered on her in front of the soldiers. Well, considering how I usually only berated her, it must have been strange.

But proper education required both the carrot and the stick. I had wielded the stick enough, so it was time to offer the carrot.

More than anything, she had a lot to do in this dungeon.

“I was just stating facts. Chloe, you’re the student representative of the Alchemy Order. And you’re also a renowned alchemist and a combat member of the Golden Wing. Am I wrong?”
“Th-That’s… not wrong, but… still.”

She seemed embarrassed to be praised by me again. I stopped her from covering her face with her fan again, her cheeks flushed.

“Anyway, enough chit-chat. Focus, Chloe. Also, dungeons are filled with curses caused by demonic power. So, quickly, your holy power.”

The curses of demonic power emitted by dungeons and magical beasts. It was difficult to endure them without the help of holy power.

The most advanced form of resistance against those magical beasts were Pantheon’s holy priests. There was a reason why students received holy orders from each Order.

Both of us, dressed in our combat uniforms, were momentarily enveloped in a soft green light.

Then Chloe said,

“I’m ready. I don’t know how big this dungeon is, but even with the help of holy power, we can’t avoid stamina depletion inside. Let’s move quickly.”

Chloe, who had dungeon combat experience, took the lead. She hesitated slightly at the unfamiliar scenery, but then proceeded without further hesitation.

It was at that very moment.

“Chloe! Stop!”

Sensing danger, I shouted at her.