Chapter 135

“Ah.”

The So Yeri Hunter wore a troubled expression as well. She belatedly covered her mouth.

“That wasn’t allowed either!?”

Mansion secrets, huh? Just as she glanced at her status window with a distressed look…

I beckoned to her.

“From now on… don’t do anything.”

If the So Yeri Hunter tried to say or do anything, I’d handle it all!

She nodded, clearly flustered.

“You’re right. Goodness. We really have to be careful. But classifying that as information is too much.”

Pouting, the So Yeri Hunter still looked pretty shocked.

One more warning there, and it’d be three strikes—out.

According to the invitation, the mansion’s basement was just solid bedrock.

In other words, it meant being buried alive.

It couldn’t help but be a brutal dungeon.

“Four guests?”

At that moment, someone suddenly approached us.

It was a servant. He seemed to have started searching the banquet hall for us.

His face said, Why are guests in a place like this?

“The banquet hall is this way.”

Don’t look at us like we should’ve known! You didn’t guide us!

But we didn’t have time to argue.

Everyone’s gazes, filled with concern, flicked to the So Yeri Hunter and away.

She was trying to act fine, but she seemed pretty shaken.

When I took her hand, it felt a bit cold.

“……”

The So Yeri Hunter glanced back at me for a moment.

Her usual smile was gone, replaced by tension.

She’d clearly figured out what three warnings meant long ago.

That was when it happened.

“Then, please prepare for the promised debate.”

The servant said this as he led us into the banquet hall.

“Pardon?”

What? What’s that? I couldn’t help but ask.

Pfft, don’t nitpick about decorum!

Fortunately, the mansion’s master didn’t seem to think asking questions was undignified.

But the servant gave us a strange look.

“We assumed you had come prepared…”

Saying “No, we didn’t” here would surely earn a warning.

The four of us exchanged glances.

While the servant looked ahead, we each expressed our bewilderment in different ways.

It was news to us, of course.

Not content with making us unwrap gifts blind, now a debate too? And they didn’t mention it in the invitation, just the rules?

What a thoughtful household.

“The four guests are entering.”

We tucked away our bewilderment and stepped into the banquet hall.

Our eyes met those of four Eastern Empire folks who seemed to have arrived before us.

“Huh?”

They gaped the moment they saw us.

“Th-those…”

They couldn’t even string words together. One even pointed at us.

Pointing like that…

I knew it! I could see the pointer’s face turning pale.

This banquet hall was the venue for “Madam Maiden’s Test,” after all. Pointing like that was bound to trigger a lightning-fast warning.

“How did this…”

I could see the Eastern Empire group whispering.

Of course, their surprise was understandable.

We’d entered as a guardian knight captain, an ordinary mage, knight, and priest—excluding me—and now here we were, plopped down as the Magic Tower Master, Emperor, and Pope. Who wouldn’t be shocked?

I wanted to tease them, but we had to be careful now too.

With So Yeri Hunter’s warnings, and we couldn’t let them think our group of four was too chummy.

I settled on a concept.

From now on, I’d play the pitiful guardian knight captain serving three masters!

The other hunters would get it anyway.

This was the best approach.

Why risk penalties by acting close when our true identities were already exposed?

“The master is entering.”

The servant said quietly. It was the moment the head of House Maiden—who placed such stock in dignity—stepped into the banquet hall.

According to So Yeri Hunter, this was probably Madam Maiden…

Clack.

A small heel click, followed by House Maiden’s young master and heir at her side.

We’re his guests, right?

As we eyed the child, Madam Maiden ascended the central platform.

“All guests are here. Thank you so much for accepting the Maiden family’s invitation.”

She smiled warmly, but her gaze toward us was icy.

Toward the Eastern Empire side, though, her smile was the picture of grace.

“I am the lady of the house, Countess Nella de Maiden. My husband is away on business, so I convey his greetings as well.”

She bowed her head. Then she turned to the child.

“And as you know, this is my son, Rifen de Maiden.”

The child, Rifen, looked tense. Madam Maiden smiled at him.

“You should give the welcome greeting.”

At her words, Rifen stepped forward nervously. A grand piano stood where he headed.

It looked far too large for a child to play.

If So Yeri Hunter was right, Rifen had practiced piano yesterday. She’d said he wasn’t very good.

Dressed in a tailored child’s suit, sitting elegantly, you’d expect a refined performance—but reality seemed otherwise.

I wasn’t tone-deaf enough to critique instrument playing, of course.

Instead, I was ready to clap enthusiastically for the tense kid upfront. I’d make sure he could step down without too much embarrassment.

And then.

Thud♬

The welcoming piece began with a hellish roar, like something rising from the underworld.

Thump! Thud♪

The child bowed his head deeply. He knew he wasn’t playing well.

But what choice did he have?

His tiny hands seemed to require excessive force just to press the keys.

“……”

Even Shin Jae-heon, who was decent at piano, raised an eyebrow slightly, focusing on Rifen’s hands.

Sensitive to human movements—especially hands and arms wielding weapons—Shin Jae-heon and I could tell immediately.

The child was giving it his all, truly his best.

“Ahem.”

“Hm.”

Meanwhile, the Eastern Empire side seemed shocked, whispering among themselves.

Not content with that, one even stifled a laugh.

“……”

And the moment Madam Maiden’s sharp gaze pierced the Eastern Empire group.

Favorability? In a dungeon like this, it usually tied directly to boss difficulty.

My tense eyes caught the Eastern Empire side’s numbers first. Above their heads:

…We’re overwhelmingly disadvantaged?

Does Madam Maiden hate us that much?

Then Madam Maiden turned to us.

She looked a bit surprised.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Empire’s favorability dropped from +25 to +20.

-90 or -85, both felt hopeless…

To gauge the impact, we needed to know exactly how favorability affected the dungeon.

So in the worst case, those two could both spawn as L-Rank bosses?

We had to push it to +50 somehow.

Separate favorability for Eastern Empire and us—did that mean different bosses?

My mind raced.

One thing was clear: we needed to boost our side’s favorability at least.

SS-Rank dungeon monsters were already one step stronger; an SS-Rank boss would become L-Rank.

And below -50? Theoretically, we’d face something a rank above L.

A grim future loomed before us.

At this rate, Madam Maiden as L-Rank, Rifen as SS-Rank!

We needed to rack up points properly.

And this banquet hall’s “Madam Maiden’s Test” would surely have a huge impact on scoring.

Thruuuum♪

Just then, Rifen’s performance ended perfectly.

Before the tense child could look our way, we clapped.

“……!”

Surprised by the unexpected applause, he turned to us.

To show it wasn’t mere courtesy, I nodded vigorously too.

Well done! At six years old, that’s incredibly good!

I thought the sheet music was mung bean sprout fanart! Woo-hoo!

“……”

Rifen’s face softened a bit as he looked at us.

A smooth start.

…No, the start was a mess, but we’d succeed anyway!

Truly disheartening favorability, hard to look at without tears.