Romilda’s attack caused the Angel’s body to tilt. The effects of my and Sofia’s Magic also ceased, and eventually, the Angel vanished. I saw that the body of the one we defeated first had completely disappeared, as if nothing had ever been there.

“……It’s over, isn’t it?”

Sofia said. Her gaze fell on Romilda.

I’m sure there are countless things she wants to ask… but before she could say anything, I spoke.

“We can talk about Romilda while we walk. We need to investigate the Angel Ruins again.”

“Lord Ruon, just to confirm again, the Knights are—”

“They were all taken out by that Angel just now. They seemed to have ventured into the Ancient Ruins many times, so I’m sure they were Elite Guards… but I guess they just had bad luck this time.”

“If you all hadn’t been here, it might have turned into a disaster.”

Yusuka said with a serious expression… I replied, “Perhaps,” and continued.

“We’ll enter the Angel Ruins again. Since there are no Knights, let’s all go and investigate.”

When I said that, Romilda and Yusuka nodded… and we slowly began to walk towards the Forest.

Along the way, I asked Romilda about the situation. Since I also had questions, I decided to ask them first.

“That Angel probably wouldn’t have been affected unless it was by a weapon containing a Dragon Demon Stone. Did you—”

Before she could finish, she shook her head from side to side.

Hmm… in the game, her weapon was a dagger or a staff. It wasn’t that she used magic, but rather she released the power she possessed by utilizing her weapon.

This means that in the game, she attacked by wielding a weapon, so she must have been using a weapon containing Dragon Demon Stone. The fact that she defeated an Angel earlier cannot be explained by the game’s information.

I assumed she had ‘awakened,’ but this is different from the game… she might be developing in an unexpected direction.

Is this because she has the Qualification to become Emperor? If not, then Sofia and I might find a way to make future battles easier.

Then Romilda started speaking. Regarding her crucial abilities, she apparently doesn’t know when she awakened them.

I believe this is due to her contact with Nefmeiza, but it’s somewhat eerie that it happened ‘somehow’ without her knowing.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, you don’t have to apologize.”

Since there was no abnormality, she consequently possesses the power to fight… in other words, there’s no doubt she can be an immediate asset. This can be considered a gain.

“I have one question: is it alright for you to use your power as you did earlier?”

I naturally hesitated to directly say, “Please fight,” so I tried to mention it indirectly for now. Then,

“…If I fight, will many people be saved?”

—Her tone was strong. She had already made up her mind. To fight.

Hearing her reply, I scratched my head. I was unsure how to respond.

“Lord Ruon.”

Sofia spoke up. Yusuka also had a subtle expression.

Surely, Romilda harbors considerable power within her. If she were to fight with us, we could achieve great results.

“…The conclusion doesn’t have to be made right away.”

However, something else came to my mind.

“Also, the Imperial Side invited Romilda to the Castle, which means they’ve noticed something about the true nature of her power. Considering that, it might be better to be cautious.”

What to do with her—that is also one of the challenges.

“Let’s return to the Mansion and decide what to do then.”

Immediately after making that decision, we entered the Forest. We went straight through the magic constructed by the Knights and arrived at the Ancient Ruins.

The temple was more damaged than when I first saw it, perhaps due to the aftermath of the large destruction of its ceiling. Ignoring that, I went inside and looked at the stairs leading to the underground that the Knights had tried to descend.

“Resveil.”

With the word, spirits appeared. While Yusuka was surprised by their sudden appearance, they began their magic analysis.

The result… I could sense the presence of magic power, but it didn’t seem to be from monsters. In fact, I couldn’t sense any monster-like presences. The temple’s appearance was unusual, but it was also unusual that there were no enemies other than the angels guarding it.

I looked at my companions once. Going all together…

“To the underground, I’ll go alone—”

“I will accompany you.”

It was Sofia. Since she spoke before I finished, she might have decided from the beginning.

“…Understood. Richard, investigate this floor so you don’t fall into any holes. I’ll leave Resveil with you.”

“Understood.”

“Yusuka, I’m counting on you too. Romilda, accompany the two of them. Don’t go near any dangerous places.”

Alright, Sofia and I descended the stairs. Although I couldn’t analyze the structure itself, based on the magic power I investigated with Resveil, the source of the magic power is definitely on this floor.

Creating light, I proceeded based on the information I obtained from the analysis… The Knight who was defeated by the Angel said this underground was a small labyrinth. That’s certainly true, but it’s not overly complex. It’s not like dead ends were intentionally created; rather, there are just a very large number of rooms.

Somehow, these rooms seemed to have been used for living… I can imagine many things, but it doesn’t seem like a place where traps would be set to prevent the Dragon Demon Stone from being taken.

Here, we encountered a floor where the first floor’s ground had been broken through. Advancing further, there was one door on the left and one on the right.

“I feel magic power.”

Sofia said. It was especially strong on the right side.

“Is there a Dragon Demon Stone in this door?”

Thinking that, I opened the door. Inside was a stone room, but… it was surprisingly bright due to a glowing object.

However, the light was purplish. A pedestal stood in the center of the room, and a glowing Magic Stone was enshrined there.

I approached and examined it. Dyed purple through and through, it contained a great power unlike ordinary Magic Stones.

“Beautiful…”

It was enough to make Sofia gasp. I reached out and took it. It was about the size of a fist, a somewhat irregular sphere.

And from the center of the glowing Magic Stone, an immense amount of Magic Power… I could tell by holding it. This is a Dragon Demon Stone of considerably high purity.

“Perhaps the Angel from earlier was guarding this… I’m surprised it’s been overlooked until now.”

“Is it something valuable?”

“The Magic Power I feel is quite substantial.”

Holding the Dragon Demon Stone, I went to the other room. It was an empty room, with what looked like a Treasure Chest in the center. When I opened it, there was an amulet inside.

“It’s probably an Artifact. Let’s take it back and investigate it.”

“This is a very significant haul, isn’t it?”

I nodded at Sofia’s words and started to walk back.

“Um, Lord Ruon.”

At that moment, Sofia spoke up.

“About the battle earlier…”

–Perhaps Sofia came along because she wanted to discuss that.

And I understood what she wanted to say.

“You mean me jumping into the Angel?”

“Yes.”

“Well… Romilda was there too, so I thought it would be better if I moved.”

Despite saying that, Sofia’s expression was stern.

The reality is that I have to push myself to some extent because I don’t possess a Combat Vessel that contains a Dragon Demon Stone. But I can understand why she would be worried.

“Actually, I heard from the Marquis that you also overexerted yourself during the battle at the Mansion.”

“…Ah.”

Yes, that’s right.

“I’m not doubting Lord Ruon’s abilities at all. However–“

“I understand what you’re trying to say. I’ll be more careful from now on.”

I said that, but Sofia’s expression still didn’t clear. However, unable to say anything more, Sofia simply added, “Please be careful,” and ended the conversation.