**English Translation and Rewritten Version:**The next day, I finished preparing for my long dungeon expedition. Eve was holed up in her office handling a handover, while only Siri and Sellu were there to see me off.
"Umm... Lord..."
Siri's face turned bright red as she grabbed my collar. She stammered,
"So... about yesterday... I mean..."
"Still, you're my favorite, Siri. You know that, right?"
I cupped her cheeks and said that. Siri, her face pressed into my palms, stared blankly at me before smiling brightly and nodding. I whispered to her,
"Look forward to my return."
"Yes... yes..."
Siri giggled, her face turning as red as a beet. I wondered what kind of conversation Eve and Siri would have once she returned, but I had to leave. I just hoped the estate wouldn't be in ruins by the time I came back.
Upon arriving in the capital, the royal attendants promptly escorted me to the palace lounge, as if they'd been waiting. Thanks to the game's convenient setup, the dungeon where the Holy Sword was sealed was right next to the capital. I sipped the provided drinks and snacks while observing the party members.
First was Princess Erina, the elf. She was currently pregnant, and her level hadn't changed since I'd first seen her. Since she was already above level 30, there'd be no issue with the Holy Sword dungeon, which was designed for level 30 players. Besides, there were two humans in the party with levels over 40. Plus, the dungeon only had a few guardians inside.
Then there was the hero, A.A. She seemed carefree, as if she'd already taken care of all the women she needed to. Erina clung to her side, asking trivial questions like whether she was hurt. A.A. looked both pleased and annoyed by Erina's attention. Her level had risen significantly, nearing 50.
I felt a twinge of regret, realizing she was now even more out of my reach. To bring her down one day, I'd need to grow stronger.
The last member was Bellix Karin, the palace representative. With her blonde waves, blue eyes, ample chest, and form-fitting armor, she was a standout. I checked her status:
**Name:** Bellix Karin
**Class:** Palace Knight
**Level:** 34
**Affinity:** 45
**Stats:**
Strength: 100
Agility: 30
Intelligence: 60
Luck: 70
**Traits:**
- **Judge:** Deals double damage to thieves and pirates. Takes half damage from them.
- **Tracker:** Quickly locates anyone whose description is known.
- **Torture Expert:** Cannot kill opponents with anything other than her main weapon (sword and shield).
Her stats were brutal for a knight, especially the Judge and Torture Expert traits. These hinted at the fate Eve would face if Karin ever went to the port. I decided to be cautious around her.
"Everyone's here now," a high-ranking palace official announced as he entered the lounge. He offered to guide us to the king. Karin sprang up like lightning and followed him, with me trailing behind. A.A. and Erina brought up the rear, Erina still clinging to A.A. and declaring her love.
Knowing Erina had spread her legs for someone else just because of a baby made the whole situation laughable. It was clear her reason for joining the party wasn't for justice or the Holy Sword—she was here to see A.A.'s face. I wondered if Erina would be satisfied with A.A.'s feminine touch.
"Everyone's here," the king greeted us, his expression weary and grave. My first impression upon seeing him on the throne was how tired and aged he looked. Recent events had clearly taken their toll. In the original story, the king was just a quest-giver, so I hadn't known much about him. But judging by how the kingdom was run and his current demeanor, he seemed like a decent person.
He spoke with a faint smile, as if relieved to see us.
"During the recent demon lord subjugation, we confirmed that Evangeline was plotting the demon lord's revival. We also discovered her plan to use mermaids to attack the trade city of Esta. I believe we must prepare countermeasures before Evangeline can act further."
The king gestured to an attendant, who unfurled a map. It showed a large cave near the palace, sealed off by a stone wall with strange symbols. These symbols were the key to entering the dungeon.
"I intend to awaken the sealed Holy Sword near the capital as the first step in our preparations. The dungeon is said to be filled with dangerous traps, and its secrets are locked away to prevent any threat from escaping."
Of course, I knew the password. In the game, the king would reveal it after you asked a second time. The password was "Luminous," the name of the company that created *Heroine Legend*.
"After extensive research, our archaeologists discovered the password to the dungeon: 'Luminous.' However, no expedition we've sent has ever returned. I cannot hide my sorrow at sending you into such danger. May fortune favor you."
With that, we headed to the dungeon. I grumbled internally—why give a speech right before the dungeon entrance? As I muttered, Erina, who'd been whispering sweet nothings with A.A., approached me.
"Isn't it Princess Erina?"
"You're the one with a fetish for scaly things."
"I didn't expect you to comment on my marriage, Princess."
"Shut up, you filthy wretch. How can an elf like you do such things with a mermaid? Even Mother was appalled by your indecency. Aren't you ashamed of the Sirius name?"
"And has Princess Erina only acted in ways that honor her name?"
Erina fell silent at my question. Dragging this into a personal attack would only hurt her, since her scandals were still hidden, unlike mine. If she kept pushing, we'd both end up dead. I asked,
"Did you come here just to pick a fight?"
Erina lowered her voice.
"I haven't told A.A. about my pregnancy yet."
"So you've been hiding a premarital pregnancy."
"Shut up. I plan to bond with A.A. during this dungeon expedition. I've told her I've discovered a secret technique for women to conceive together. Once we're together, I'll show her my growing belly over time. This child will be ours, just as you wished."
"I see. But how did you convince the Queen?"
"That's none of your business."
If I were Erina's mother, I'd have fainted from shock. Judging by her tone, she'd somehow gotten the Queen's approval. Honestly, how she conceived the child wasn't my concern. It was just laughable that Erina would claim women could have a child together, and that A.A. would believe it.
What an idiot princess. This is why being coddled in the palace ruins people.
"Well, I do wish you and the hero happiness."
Erina scowled. "You really are a strange one."
I laughed it off—it wasn't my place to judge, considering her desperation. We left the capital and arrived at the dungeon entrance, a classic RPG-style cave.
Two gargoyle statues stood before the entrance, torches burning. The guard at the gate input the password and opened the door for us. He warned,
"No one who's entered beyond this point has ever returned."
The game said the same thing, though the dungeon was absurdly easy compared to the warning. The Holy Sword dungeon was one of the simplest events in the game, likely designed for solo play. Fewer enemies appeared compared to other dungeons of the same level, and their patterns were straightforward.
But having experienced slight differences between the game and reality, I entered the dungeon with a hint of tension. In the game, only one guardian appeared, but in reality, a machine gun-wielding robot could emerge the moment the door opened.
The door creaked open, revealing a long staircase leading to the first underground floor. There, a massive golem stood, surrounded by piles of bones. Most who'd entered hadn't made it past the first floor.
The golem itself was battered and broken, as if it had fought for centuries. We stopped before it, assessing the situation. Karin spoke up,
"It's been destroyed by heavy, blunt force. It seems others have fallen to this golem... but I can't figure out how it works."
"Maybe there's a condition we need to meet?"
"Should we get closer?"
We were still some distance from the golem. At the suggestion to approach, Erina looked reluctant. Honestly, so did I. Standing before a golem twice my size wasn't something I wanted to do, even in reality.
But fearless Karin and A.A. took the first step forward, and in that moment, the golem's eyes lit up. I quickly opened my status menu to check its stats:
**Name:** Stone Golem
**Race:** Stone Golem (Transformed)
**Level:** 32
**Stats:**
Strength: 89
Agility: 20
Intelligence: 0
Luck: 0
**Traits:**
- **Magic Resistance:** Reduces magic damage by 60%.
- **Physical Resistance:** Reduces physical damage by 60%.
"Transformed?"
"Hmm?"
A.A. turned at my muttering. I shook my head.
"Nothing, it's fine."
The "Transformed" note on its race was odd, but there were more pressing details in its status. Its base stats were decent, but its passive traits made it a nuisance to defeat. I drew my mace, Karin her sword and shield, and Erina her bow. A.A. paused mid-draw, glancing at the golem.
"It looks like it wants to say something."
Just as we all stopped, the golem spoke.
"Only the pure of heart may pass through this gate."
I frowned, and Karin tilted her head. A.A. thought for a moment before turning and saying,
"Erina! You'll be able to pass, right?"
Shit. We're screwed.