Me, the Weakest Member of the Hero’s Party? I’m the Villain Though? - Chapter 55
Richie, the Fire Mage
The fact that the lord called him ‘that person’ and that no one ever mentioned a specific name made me wonder why everyone referred to him so vaguely.
—The ‘Paladin’s Helm’, I mean. It has a shield, so this kind of poison won’t be a problem.
“Ah.”
This tiny crow was surprisingly clever in some ways.
I opened my subspace in midair for a moment and reached inside. After pushing aside various things I could feel, I finally managed to find and pull out the silver helm.
To be honest, the first time I saw the helm, I thought it was just a tin can since the whole face was covered. But to think it actually had a shield function.
When I put it on over my head, there were horizontally long eye slits.
My field of vision was limited, and my breath, filled with moisture, quickly turned the inside into a steam bath, but it wasn’t unbearable.
“Mm. Alright. Shall we go?”
—Okay!
Larry, who had been sitting atop the suspicious torch by the dungeon entrance, fluttered back onto my shoulder.
I took a deep breath and stepped into the dungeon. Perhaps thanks to the helm’s effect, the thick smoke somehow didn’t gather around me and instead dispersed at a distance.
It was dark inside, but here and there the suspicious torches I’d seen at the entrance were lit.
Not sure where to go, I looked around. Suddenly, I heard squeaking noises.
—That’s a low-level monster.
Larry must have heard it too, as he said it indifferently. Sure enough, a few angry rats came charging straight at me, making a drumming sound with their feet.
I stretched out my palm and put on a little fire show. After passing the rats that had been burned to black ashes, I kept moving forward.
Which way should I go to meet the master of this dungeon? At times like this, I really wished I had Kakaros around, I thought as I looked around.
The dungeon was a maze of narrow passages, as if made by stacking bricks. The structure was so confusing I nearly forgot where I’d come from.
I got lost. At this rate, I’d end up trapped in the dungeon. Growing anxious, I asked Larry on my shoulder.
“Larry, can you find the way?”
—No, I’ve forgotten where we came from too.
Larry wasn’t much help either. With a deep sigh, I stopped and stood still, lost in thought.
It was finally time to take out my grimoire and look for a pathfinding spell. Just as I was about to open my subspace, I suddenly felt a faint vibration from my pocket.
“This is…”
When I took out the magic stone, it was giving off a soft black light and vibrating. The vibration grew stronger when I held it out in front of me.
Come to think of it, it seemed to be leading me somewhere. I started walking, following the growing vibration of the magic stone.
As I walked, burning up every rat that crossed my path, I soon found myself in front of another stone door.
—There’s an enormous amount of miasma coming from behind this.
Even without Larry saying so, I could feel it too. I was certain that inside this room was the ‘that person’ Tallin had mentioned.
I shoved the magic stone back into my pocket and rummaged through my subspace for something that looked like a weapon.
“What, a mace?”
Of all things, a mace? I would have preferred something more impressive than this crude, brute-force weapon.
—How about the Paladin’s Holy Sword? If you use the shield, helm, and sword together, your defense will go up even more.
“You’re a real genius.”
So there was a set bonus. Thankful for Larry’s unexpectedly useful tip, I expressed my gratitude, and he flapped his wings proudly.
Following Larry’s advice, I took out a sword and shield that looked like they matched the helm. I didn’t actually feel any stronger, but thanks to Larry’s explanation, I did feel a bit more reassured.
“Let’s see what kind of guy ‘that person’ really is.”
—Okay!
Larry never once said no to anything. Maybe because I’d grown attached to him, but he was starting to seem just plain adorable.
Swallowing a trembling breath, I solemnly placed my palm on the door and pushed with all my might. The heavy stone door, like before, opened smoothly without resistance.
Inside was far darker than the corridor. Not a single bit of light shone. There was nothing but pitch-black darkness.
“Anyone in there?”
Thinking the dungeon boss would finally show up, I shouted into the void. Since the space was completely enclosed, my voice echoed off the walls.
“Who dares to trespass on my altar?”
He called it an altar. The only altars I knew of were places where offerings were made.
“If this is an altar, does that make you a priest?”
I asked the other person, whose form was still hidden.
“I am a priest who serves the Dark God, and a lich—a deathless mage returned from beyond the grave. And who are you?”
