Book 1 Chapter 141

"Lady Sergia, please straighten your back."

"Yes."

"Smile a little more kindly."

"……Yes."

"Your voice is trembling. Is something wrong?"

'Something wrong? There's plenty wrong.'

Sergia calmed her trembling lips.

'It's you, cramming this dog-like etiquette into me!'

As she entered the fitting room, Sergia screamed inwardly.

For Sergia, no, for Runia, this moment was a terrible ordeal.

Dozens of maids were attending solely to her.

They brought one gorgeous dress after another and dressed Runia in them.

All of them looked incredibly expensive, eliciting gasps of admiration.

Despite Runia's spirited personality, she was a girl of an age when she would naturally enjoy dressing up.

There was no way she wouldn't be interested in pretty clothes and beautiful accessories.

'Still, there's a limit to everything!'

It had already been several hours since she entered the Hero Dungeon.

When she first realized her situation, she had been tense and accepted the current circumstances to gather information.

She hadn't done anything that could be criticized.

Though Runia found elven etiquette stifling, she had lived as the heir to a renowned hero's family since childhood.

Recently, as the class representative of Seirun, she had been acting as an outstanding student wherever she went.

Finding something stifling and being unable to do it well were separate matters.

Therefore, Runia had considerable confidence in elven etiquette.

But this was far beyond the limit.

'If I breathe too deeply, they make a fuss! If I blink, they point it out! If I don't smile, they criticize me! What! Shouldn't I at least have a moment to catch my breath! And I'm still in preparation!'

Runia was on the verge of a nervous breakdown due to the man's ceaseless etiquette lessons.

To make matters worse, she was enduring it under the guise of preparing for a party, so her annoyance reached its peak.

Just how much more would she have to be careful at the party?

'I might go mad.'

Even the notoriously strict etiquette teachers of Seirun seemed like children compared to this man.

'Calm down, calm down. First, I need to figure out the situation.'

Runia looked at the face of the woman, Sergia, into whom she had been reincarnated, in the mirror.

She was a girl of Runia's age, with bluish hair reminiscent of water and large, lake-colored eyes.

Runia smiled faintly as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

'It's not like I have princess syndrome… but I can be sure of this. I'm prettier.'

Runia thought she was prettier than this girl.

'Besides, I have a kind heart.'

If Leo had heard this, he might have asked if she had crushed her heart, but unfortunately, Leo wasn't here.

'By the way, what era is this, and what is her social status?'

Within the limited space, Runia tried her best to gather information.

However, not a single one of the dozens of maids spoke to her familiarly.

Forget speaking, they would flinch and turn their heads away whenever their eyes met Runia's.

It was as if they were terrified of Sergia.

Runia found this extremely unpleasant.

'Even if it's an old era, the maids' reactions are bizarre.'

Even in the current era, there were plenty of authoritative families, and she had seen enough fools in Seirun who thought they were chosen.

But no one instilled this much fear in their kin.

In elven society, excessive authority was a flaw.

Building walls of social status was considered the act of the vulgar.

Runia was no different.

But now, it felt like there was a clear division of status.

With every gesture, the maids flinched and shut their eyes tightly.

It was as if they feared physical violence.

She could easily guess how hysterically and outrageously this girl she had possessed must have behaved.

'She must be a truly wicked woman. What an archaic era is this?'

She knew it was an unimaginable past, but she wasn't sure how far back.

'Still, I can't ask what era it is.'

Saying something strange might arouse suspicion and complicate the dungeon攻略.

She had to be careful with every action.

*Swish-*

Runia pushed open the fitting room curtain and stood before the man, the only one she could currently converse with.

The man stared intently at Runia, then furrowed his brow.

"I suppose this one is the best."

He pointed to a dress.

"That's the dress I wore earlier."

It was the very first dress she had put on after entering the Hero Dungeon.

"Yes. Looking at it again, it seems to suit you the best."

A vein throbbed on Runia's forehead.

'Then why did you make me go through all this trouble!'

Suppressing the urge to lash out, Runia changed into the dress again in the fitting room.

As Runia emerged from the fitting room, she was adjusting her accessories and makeup to match the dress.

*Knock-knock-*

"Enter."

"Lord Aether."

"What is it?"

"A small problem…"

"What problem has occurred?"

The man who entered looked like a knight.

Runia perked up her ears at their conversation.

Aether glanced at Runia and gestured with his chin to go outside.

'Hmm. A secret conversation, perhaps.'

*Click-*

The door closed.

An opportunity to gain information had arrived.

Even if it was trivial, Runia didn't want to miss this chance.

*Twitch-twitch-*

She twitched her pointed ears and heightened her hearing.

"There's been an intruder in the underground prison."

"An intruder?"

"Yes. The one who harmed Lady Sergia's fiancé during today's lesson has escaped."

"What?"

'Heh heh! I can hear everything! You guys.'

Runia inwardly wore a knowing expression.

Even elves with superior hearing wouldn't have heard that without training.

But Runia, a candidate for hero training, was different.

Although she couldn't wield aura, she had diligently trained to sharpen her senses using mana.

'If I don't undergo this training, I won't be able to catch up to him.'

Thinking of Leo, Runia continued to focus on eavesdropping.

'Seeing them talk so carelessly, this girl doesn't seem to have outstanding mana abilities. I should refrain from using magic or spirits in front of others. And she has a fiancé…'

Gathering clues from even the slightest detail, Runia's mind raced.

"Um, excuse me."

"Yes, yes!"

When Runia spoke, the maid who was applying makeup to her cheeks turned as pale as a ghost.

"I-I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!"

Looking at the maid kneeling and begging for forgiveness, Runia looked up at the ceiling and lamented.

'Just how wicked of a life did this girl live?'

To apologize so frantically just for being called.

"You did nothing wrong, so there's nothing to apologize for. I just have a question because I'm curious."

"Yes, yes!"

"Is my fiancé alright? I heard he was injured."

The maid, still trembling with fear, replied.

"Yes… I heard that Lord Hirchian suffered serious injuries due to an unfortunate accident during today's lesson. However, he will be able to attend His Highness's birthday party, so please do not worry."

"His Highness?"

"Yes."

Runia's face contorted strangely at the unfamiliar word.

*Slam-*

Meanwhile, Aether returned to the room.

With the same impassive expression as before, he bowed his head upon seeing Runia, who had finished her preparations.

"You are as beautiful as befits the title of Princess, Lady Sergia."

'Princess? Princess?'

Runia knew that elves had a time when they had princesses, but that was 5,000 years ago, before the Age of Calamity.

'Wait! Princess? Does that mean this is the era before 5,000 years ago?'

"Before going to the party, let us pay a visit to His Highness, Lady Sergia."

Aether bowed his head and escorted Runia.

Even while being escorted, Runia's mind was racing.

'If this is a world before the Age of Calamity… then the world we entered is one of three.'

There were only three heroes officially known to have lived before the Age of Calamity in the Hero Records.

Lisinath, the King of Wisdom.

Dwenho, the Divine Blacksmith.

And Luna, the Progenitor of the Nebula.

'This world is undeniably connected to elves! Therefore! If it's before the Age of Calamity, this must be Luna's world!'

She recalled her previous encounter with Luna.

The Progenitor of the Nebula, whom she met for a fleeting moment after defeating the Skeleton King.

Though different from her imagined image, she was a great progenitor of unparalleled beauty and charm.

At that time, she hadn't even been able to have a proper conversation.

'Ah! Perhaps here I can converse with the Progenitor!'

Runia's eyes sparkled.

To converse with the Progenitor!

What a dreamlike prospect!

'I can talk about magic with Luna! Get advice on magic from Luna! Be praised by Luna! That's possible! Please let it be Luna's world!'

Runia felt her heart pounding.

Yet, outwardly, she maintained perfect etiquette.

As Runia walked down the corridor, she reached a massive door engraved with a tree carving.

Knights, who appeared to be highly skilled, stood there.

The knights bowed to Runia and opened the huge door.

*Creeeak-*

Instantly, an abyss-like darkness was visible beyond the door.

Pitch-black darkness where nothing could be seen.

Seeing it, Runia felt her face stiffen.

'What… what is this?'

She quickly regained her composure.

Meanwhile, the darkness vanished, and the scene of the audience chamber unfolded before her eyes.

'Did I see wrong?'

She thought she had hallucinated.

But Runia swallowed hard.

Her instincts were telling her.

Be mentally prepared.

Runia took a deep breath.

"Lady Sergia."

Aether cast a reproachful glance.

If it had been moments ago, Runia would have felt annoyed, but now she didn't even have the time for that.

Ignoring Aether, Runia cautiously stepped into the audience chamber.

Instantly…

She felt goosebumps all over her body.

She quickly calmed her trembling body.

And feigned composure.

But her mind was screaming.

'Where… where is this!'

She wanted to escape this place immediately.

She felt breathless and broke out in a cold sweat.

But Runia was the only one feeling the pressure.

"Welcome, my daughter, Princess."

A benevolent voice echoed from the high throne.

"Happy birthday."

Lifting her head to see the Elf King, Ergen, Runia spoke little, acting the part of a high-ranking princess.

She smiled a sweet smile.

And then, Runia finally saw it.

She understood why she felt such primal fear in this space.

The vast audience chamber was the interior of a giant ancient tree.

Runia didn't know it, but this was the very center of Varharun, the city of the High Elves.

Inside the World Tree in Varharun.

A sacred place that only opened when the Elf King visited Varharun.

The interior of the World Tree, called the treasure of the elves, was literally vast.

It was used as the Elf King's audience chamber.

Behind the Elf King's throne was a large empty space.

At least, everyone present perceived it as an empty space.

Seeing what lay behind Ergen, Runia clenched her fist so hard that her nails dug into her palm.

If she didn't do this, her hands would undoubtedly tremble like aspen leaves.

'…What… what is that…'

In the empty space slept a deformed monster, unlike anything Runia had ever seen.

A monster invisible to the eyes of the residents of this false world.

A monster visible only to Runia, the real one.

She didn't have to worry about screaming.

Forget screaming, she could barely breathe.

She barely managed to hide her panting breaths.

And she was grateful that the monster before her was in a deep slumber.

'Is it a monster from Tartarus?'

The monster exuded terror by its very existence.

A monster engulfed in black flames that seemed capable of burning everything to ashes at any moment.

As far as she thought, something flashed through Runia's mind.

Suddenly, she remembered the contents of a fairy tale book she had loved since childhood.

The fairy tale book that made Runia admire heroes… the great progenitors.

In that fairy tale book, there was a wicked villain.

'That wicked primordial evil shouted at the great heroes, "ROAR! I will devour you all!"'

'Cliché! So cliché!'

Why? Why did the content of the fairy tale book, which her mother had read humorously, suddenly come to mind?

Why did she remember her childhood self scoffing at the incarnation of evil?

'The great heroes will defeat it anyway!'

Perhaps it was a review of her life?

Or perhaps it was because she knew there were no longer any great heroes to defeat that primordial evil?

The reason didn't matter.

In any case, Runia now knew what the monster before her was.

'It's… too… similar to the fairy tale…'

Runia squeezed her eyes shut.

'Erebos.'