She Professed Herself The Pupil Of The Wiseman (LN) - Volume 5 - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

“WELL, I GUESS you can’t expect much from the first floor,” Gilbert sighed, collecting his fallen arrows. “The monsters

will get stronger as we go. Don’t let your guard down just yet.”

“No worries. Whatever may come, I will cut it down,” Heinrich declared.

Monsters grew stronger as adventurers climbed the Stairway to the Sky. The first floor could be beaten by C- or D-Ranks, but the top floor housed monsters equal to B-Rank.

“You’re stronger than I expected, Mira. I think we’ll have an easy time in this dungeon. Summoning sure is incredible,” Gilbert mused as he wiped the blood off an arrow and put it back in his quiver. He’d simply spoken his mind, but Mira stiffened up as if she’d been struck by lightning. She blinked a few times and literally leapt at Gilbert.

“Again! Say it again, please!” She looked up at him with wide, expectant eyes, as if she was seeing a Ferris wheel for the first time. 

Gilbert recoiled in confusion and tried to repeat what he’d just said. “Eh…? Um, you’re stronger than I expected?”

“No, the last part! Say it again!”

“Hmm, you mean about how summoning is incredible?”

“There you go!” Mira burst into a bigger smile than before and continued, elated. “Yes. Yes, it is!” 

This was the moment she had been waiting for: the moment in which someone acknowledged the power of summoning.

“I don’t know what you’re so excited about, but let’s hurry on. We’re making good time thanks to the flight here, but our original plan had us near the second floor by now.”

Gilbert started ascending the slope, not acknowledging that his lecture had cost them quite a bit of time. The others decided to keep that thought to themselves as well. Crossing the first floor, they found another staircase carved into the bedrock, creating an optical illusion in which they seemed to descend upward.

The group heaved a collective sigh and began to climb.

Mira dismissed her blood-soaked Dark Knight and resummoned a clean one to ride.

***

For once, Mira wasn’t the only strong fighter; Gilbert and Heinrich were more than capable. The party had no trouble clearing the second and third floors. Even the giant bovine monster waiting on the fourth floor had its raised arm pierced by Gilbert, its leg severed clean off by Heinrich, and its roaring throat stabbed by a Dark Knight. It died before it knew what hit it.

Climbing the stairs ended up taking much more time and energy than fighting.

After helping Heinrich dissect the monster they’d just killed, Gilbert checked the time and announced, “That wraps up the fourth floor. I’d say we’re back on schedule. Let’s clear the fifth floor and set up camp as planned.”

As the dungeon was only lit from within, there was no way to tell if it was day or night.

Mira opened her System Menu and mused, “Goodness, eight o’ clock already?”

“The meat here is rather appetizing,” Heinrich noted.

“The ribs, huh? I do like the color of them,” Gilbert agreed.

Most of the monsters they’d massacred so far were small, so the adventurers hadn’t bothered cutting them apart. They wouldn’t have made for very useful materials, and it saved time to leave them behind. But large monsters were different; the abundant, sturdy materials would be useful and thus sell for a good price.

Case in point: this minotaur-like monster had more than just hide and horns. Its meat was a coveted food for adventurers, too. Mira recognized the pair as real survivalists—rugged and pragmatic—when Gilbert set about taking cuts of meat from the carcass.

“Welp, let’s get going.” Gilbert packed the monster’s meat in a big cloth and stored it inside his User Bangle’s Item Box. Only a few bones and a pool of blood were left on the floor, like the remains of a grisly crime scene.

The perpetrators never looked back as they headed for the stairs to the next level.

***

Thirty minutes later, the group arrived at their destination. It was quite a bit narrower than the previous floors, and in the center stood a rock pillar crowned with a gleaming red flame. The otherworldly flame was warm, as if it were a campfire to welcome travelers. The whole floor was painted orange by its light, leaving no place for monsters to hide. If one listened closely, they could hear the whisper of running water.

The fifth floor of the Stairway to the Sky was simply a rest area.

“Here we are. Time to take a break.” Gilbert sat next to the stone pillar and produced a set of camping tools from his item box. They were mostly cookware.

“That was quite the effort. Never have I climbed so many stairs in one day.” Even Heinrich was tired. He removed his sword from his hip, plopped down, and immediately lay on the ground.

“Bah, I’m only suffering some butt pain.” Mira smirked slightly and hopped down from her Dark Knight’s shoulder.

Heinrich began to protest, but he clammed up when Mira’s skirt billowed up on her descent. Pale skin and a brief glimpse of her panties were all he saw in the moment before she touched the ground.

The words in his mind were vaporized by the sight and never found their way to his lips.

As she dismissed the Dark Knight, Mira cocked her head at Heinrich, who suddenly sat uncomfortably straight. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing!” Heinrich looked everywhere but at her, as if chasing an invisible fly. Finally, he sputtered out, “I’ll go help Gilbert.”

A few minutes later, Heinrich was carrying water back and forth from the nearby spring.

“You’re acting rather strange.” Mira walked over and sat cross-legged in front of Heinrich. She looked at him with a glare and demanded, “Have I done something wrong? If so, I won’t know until you tell me.”

Heinrich hung his head woefully and confessed the truth. “I am sorry, Miss Mira. When you alighted from your Black Knight, I… Erm, I…saw your underwear. Forgive me!” He prostrated himself before her. His perfect stance despite the stiff armor and helmet made it clear that he was a master of the art.

Dumbfounded, Mira leaned over and flipped up the hem of her skirt to check for herself. Finally, she understood and laughed.

“Is that what happened? Well, don’t mind it. It doesn’t hurt me just because you’ve seen it, so who cares?” Mira patted her belly. Her demeanor prompted Heinrich to change his angle of attack slightly.

“No, Miss Mira. A young woman of marriageable age is the taboo of all taboos. In my opinion, such revealing clothes are scandalous. But…it is not my place to tell you what to do. All I can do is ask that you take care of yourself.”

“Ah, hrmm… Right. I will bear that in mind.”

Mira had never felt much shame about her underwear being seen. She also had no concept of womanliness, which only exacerbated her indifference. Even now, Mira didn’t think it too important to be as concerned as Heinrich wanted her to be.

“Sorry about him, Mira. Hank’s as square as they come,” Gilbert said, approaching the other two. He smiled broadly; clearly, he was enjoying the sight of Heinrich embarrassing himself in front of a woman.

“How dare you? Given Miss Mira’s beauty, there’s no doubt that many men would have untoward thoughts about her. Best that I warn her before anything happens.”

“But you saw her. She’s a top-class fighter. She can take care of herself just fine.”

“Nrgh… Yes, that is true.”

In the battles from the first to fourth floors, Mira had proven her strength as a summoner. The ferocity of her summoned Dark Knights had roused Heinrich’s competitive spirit. Neither of the men could easily imagine someone who could stand up against her.

“Anyway, it’s almost dinner time.” Gilbert changed the subject and pointed at the stove next to the stone pillar.

There was a tube with a small plate atop it, much like a shichirin charcoal grill. The heat rising from the fire seared the skewered meat that sat atop it. When grease dripped from the meat into the flame, it flared up and sizzled.

On closer inspection, it was indeed ready. In the light of the woodstove, the color of the meat was just the right shade. Mira sprang up, drawn by the scent.

“Oho! Now this looks delicious!” she squealed. When her skirt entered Heinrich’s line of sight, he rushed to stand up. He sighed, his stern face turning a shade sterner.

***

The meat of the bovine monster was quite tough, but wonderfully flavorful. It went well with Gilbert’s vegetable soup.

Once the three cleaned their plates, they chatted as they shared Mira’s sweet berry au laits in lieu of dessert. Gilbert and Heinrich’s adventures were the main topic of conversation, but Mira’s summoning magic also came up.

“Still, it’s pretty crazy,” Gilbert mused. “You’d think that a summoner like you would be famous in this day and age. But the only rumors I’ve heard of summoners lately involve some pupil of Danblf’s.” He glanced at Mira suspiciously.

“Danblf was one of the Nine Wise Men, no?” Heinrich asked. “Would they not be another impostor?”

“That’s the thing. Again, this is all rumors…but they say this one seems like the real deal. I also happened to hear that this pupil is a lovely young lady.”

Many people showed up over the years calling themselves pupils of the Wise Men. However, none could back the claim with any skill, and each faded into obscurity. But Gilbert’s sources said this time was different. This time, the Écarlate Carillon, King Solomon of Alcait, and acting Wise Man Cleos were all somehow involved.

“Is that so? Wait…a lovely little lady?” Heinrich’s eyes turned to Mira.

“Rumors spread fast, don’t they? Indeed, they refer to me.” Mira puffed out her chest a little out of pride.

Heinrich’s jaw and eyes alike hung wide open. He reflexively looked Mira up and down, but stopped when he spotted her captivating thighs peeking out from under her skirt. Gilbert simply chuckled to himself at Heinrich’s panicked reaction.

“I have to wonder what someone so famous is doing here, but I won’t be nosy,” Gilbert said, moving to clean up the wooden dishes. “Either way, it’s clear that you’ll make our travels a lot easier. I’ll do my best not to displease you.”

“A true pupil of a Wise Man? Incredible. Now that I’ve seen the power of your Knight, it is already clear that you’re nothing like the impostors,” Heinrich said, keeping his gaze aimed in a safe direction.

Between what he had heard in rumors and what he had personally seen, those who had professed themselves pupils before were good mages…but not great mages. Yet fighting alongside Mira had shown Heinrich that her summoning had unlimited power.

Mid-conversation, Mira began to squirm at the unavoidable sensation creeping into her bladder.

“So, is there a bathroom nearby? Or are we forced to do our business in the corner?” she muttered to herself, frantically searching around.

Heinrich fell unnaturally silent. Gilbert pointed to a corner of the floor and said, “There’s a stream over there. It’ll wash away.” With that, he turned away from said corner.

“Aha, then I shall. No peeking.”

Mira’s words, though directed toward nobody in particular, prompted a rather high-pitched yelp from Heinrich. “I-I would never do such a thing!” 

He covered his face with both hands and turned away like Gilbert, who snickered at his discomfort.

Heh. He really is fun to tease!

When Mira returned, the two men went to the stream for their own business, and Gilbert began washing the dishes upstream.

Heinrich returned and started preparing for bed, clearing away pebbles while occasionally glancing at Mira, who relaxed with both legs outstretched. Before long, Gilbert returned with clean dishes.

“I slept first last time,” Heinrich said quietly. “Shall we omit Miss Mira from this duty?”

“Yeah. You and I can just take turns as planned. I doubt you can bear to make her stay up for you anyway, right?” Gilbert answered, currently in the process of boiling water on the small stove. A cup and a container of ground coffee beans stood nearby.

“That is correct. I suppose it’s decided.”

Overhearing her name, Mira chimed in. “Say, what are you two talking about?”

“We’re talking about who keeps watch. Don’t worry about it, Mira.”

“I will be the one to do it tonight,” Henrich said, sternly.

Keeps watch. Never used to worry about that, but it would be necessary now, wouldn’t it?

Mira knew that she might have to camp often in the future. Who would take lookout duty when she was alone? As the question came to mind, she quickly hit upon a possible answer.

“I say we try letting one of my men do it,” she declared.

A magic circle appeared next to Mira, and a suit of armor appeared, lit by the orange light of the fire. It was a Holy Knight. The Knight stood passively next to her, wielding a gigantic tower shield symbolic of its purpose.

Unlike summons like Pegasus, weapon spirits came with a time limit. The mana allotted during their summoning was used to maintain their form. It was consumed when they were destroyed and reconstituted until it reached zero, at which point the summons disappeared. They would also disappear when the summoner dismissed them, or when their time limit ran out.

“I’ve given it a long time limit, so it should easily last until morning.”

“Hm, interesting. This one seems rather different from the black one. Is this Knight strong, too?” From Heinrich’s perspective, a Holy Knight meant to protect would be lacking in offense.

Gilbert, meanwhile, looked in satisfaction at the shield it held. He had heard in stories that the larger a Holy Knight’s shield, the more power it wielded.

“How about we test his strength now?” Gilbert proposed.

“Indeed, let’s. That sounds fun.” Mira readily accepted.

Heinrich smirked with something akin to samurai spirit. After walking away from the center of the floor, he whipped out his sword. “I accept the challenge! To a fair fight!”

***

Once both fighters were in their positions, Gilbert signaled for the match to begin.

Heinrich’s sword strokes against the Holy Knight were powerful and precise, but it was like fighting an immovable wall. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t break through its defenses.

“Is this the power of the pupil of a Wise Man?” Heinrich sat down, disappointed at how easily his prided swordplay had been nullified. One could hardly blame him; he’d failed to land a single blow.

However, it looked quite different to Mira. Though the Holy Knight had capable offensive techniques, it was an iron wall specialized in defense. Heinrich’s ferocious assault had kept it on guard the entire time.

“Don’t lose heart. You fought a one-sided offensive battle against my own Holy Knight. A fantastic feat,” Mira said kindly, laying a hand on the deflated man’s shoulder.

“I-is that so?” Heinrich asked. Even through his sturdy armor, the warmth of Mira’s hand on his shoulder caused his boulder-like demeanor to melt.

“Indeed. You have wonderful skill with the sword.”

“Truly? But of course!” He roared to the ceiling, his confidence restored. 

Gilbert smirked at his friend, who apparently didn’t mind being consoled by a little girl.

“If it could fend off my sword so well, then surely it can protect us through the night.” Heinrich looked up to the Holy Knight proudly. His dejection from before was all gone; now, he simply had a brazen grin on his face.

 “Now that we’ve got that figured out, let’s get to bed. I want to reach those ruins before sundown tomorrow.” Gilbert removed his leather armor and set down his quiver. Producing a sleeping bag, he spread it on the ground. Next to him, Heinrich likewise removed his armor, helmet, and katana, before spreading out his own sleeping bag .

It looks like it’s going to come in handy already!

Mindful of its rather unwieldy size, Mira whipped out the sleeping bag at a slight distance. When the bulky bedding fell to the ground, it puffed a current of wind at the men. Gilbert and Heinrich turned toward the source of the disturbance and found a bizarre object. They looked at Mira.

“Miss Mira, what is this thing?” Heinrich stepped closer and looked upon it with great interest.

The sleeping bag lay sprawled on the floor, its generous top covered in a blue cloth. Just as Mira had, they had trouble figuring out what it was at first glance.

“This is my sleeping bag. Though, it will be my first time using it.”

“Good lord, a sleeping bag? It doesn’t look the part.” Heinrich touched the top.

“I thought so at first, too. A man named…I forget, actually. Anyhow, he said he dealt in adventurer goods, and he gave it to me. According to…er, whatever his name was, he plans to sell these soon.” Mira spoke rather proudly.

Gilbert thought for a moment. “Hm. A man dealing in adventurer goods, eh? Would that be Denoir Trading?”

“Aha, yes! That is the one.” Mira finally remembered. Dredging up the rest of the encounter from her foggy recollection, Mira reached for the business card in her waist pouch.

Gilbert looked at it in disbelief. “Cedric Denoir, son of the man himself, huh? You sure know some interesting people. I guess that makes this a prototype.”

“I’m quite envious.” Heinrich seemed captivated by anything that led to good sleep. “Would you be willing to show us how it works?” 

“Sure, I don’t mind.” Mira smiled, charmed by how Heinrich was acting so unlike his usual samurai self.

With her consent, Heinrich turned the sleeping bag around, rubbed the top, and gave it a good look-over. It was a rare opportunity to experience a product before it was placed on store shelves.

“The surface is surprisingly smooth,” he noted. “It feels lovely. And the bag is shockingly light, too.”

“Isn’t it? It is cutting-edge, after all.”

“How does it feel inside?” He looked to Mira for permission.

“Go ahead.”

“Thank you. S-so…how does it work?” Heinrich asked with a frown. It was clear from touching it that it was bag-shaped, but he had no idea how to open it.

Mira turned it slightly and pointed at an opening in the bag. “It opens from that slit. Try it out.”

“Oh, here? Let’s see.” Heinrich put a finger in the seam as directed, where he found a projection, grasped it, and slid it down. The blue cloth folded back, revealing the sleeping bag’s true form. “Ho ho! So that’s how it works. The inside is quite soft and warm. This seems very comfortable, indeed.”

As Heinrich enjoyed himself, Mira suppressed an evil grin.

“Doesn’t it? Ah, but it’s never been used, so be gentle.”

“Of course; I won’t be too rough. Oh, look how deep it is! Even I could fit inside.”

“My, how forceful you are. Don’t spread it open too much,” Mira said, eyes glowing with impish delight as Heinrich spread open the top and looked inside.

Watching them, Gilbert let out a sigh and cut in, “Mira, cut him some slack. He’s as dense as they come, so he won’t figure it out.”

“Hrmm. Fine, I’ve had my fun,” Mira said.

Heinrich noticed her gaze and looked up. “Hm? Is something wrong?”

“Yeah. You’ve been saying some dangerous things to our little friend here,” Gilbert warned him, somewhat exasperated. 

Heinrich went silent for a moment, and Mira could only flash him an innocent smile.

He asked her to let him know how she slept the next morning and climbed into his own sleeping bag. Mira stripped her coat and placed it next to her pillow before slipping under her blanket. The fabric enveloping her was as comforting as a mother’s hug.

As Mira and Heinrich slipped into the rhythmic breathing of sleep, Gilbert looked up to the Holy Knight as if to confirm its trustworthiness, then finally closed his eyes.