'...... There doesn't seem to be any kind of trap on the door. ...... I don't hear any noise.'

She whispered to me as she observed the door, carefully touched it, or conversely, randomly touched the door and put her ear to it.
Then he turned to me and asked.

'William, there is a spell called See-Through, isn't there? Can you see beyond this door?

I can sympathize with her feeling of wanting to know what's behind the door, since there might be something lurking behind it.

But useful information is often not available for free.
And in this case, there is a high possibility that even paying the magical element (cost) will not make it possible.

'I haven't tried it, but I'm guessing that see-through will be rejected with high probability. I don't want to waste a shot. It's a high-level spell, and it eats a lot of mana.

'It will be played ......? How is that possible?

'Yeah. In ancient ruins, especially in labyrinth-type ruins, it is said that a magic blocking wall that shuts out the effects of information-based magic is a common device. I've read similar descriptions in several adventure books.

'Oh, I see. That's what I'm talking about, William, you're no stranger to adventure stories.

In fact, I still wasn't sure whether or not to try the see-through trick.
I expect that it will be disabled with high probability, but it is not yet confirmed that it will not pass.
And when it does pass, the results will be immeasurable.

If I had an elven potion that could restore my mana, I wouldn't hesitate to use it. .......

...... No, it's not good.
It's not a good idea. You've become extravagant with regard to the consumption of magical elements (mana).

You should use the spells you need when you need them, but if you are in the risk management stage, you should be aware of the cost performance.
Otherwise, my mana will soon be depleted.

However, even if you run out of mana while exploring this dungeon, you can still return home if you need to, so it's easy.
If we go out from the exit we found first, at least we won't lose our lives in this dungeon.

But in that case, we'll have to give up on getting the Fiery Sword.
I wonder if that will be enough to defeat the Demon Lord.
It's a delicate position to be in.

Meanwhile, Mee asks me one more question.

'Well, what about that spell called Alert? It can detect enemies even when they are invisible, right?

'I've already used the Alert spell, but there's no response. I guess it's better to assume that the effect has been canceled.

'...... Mmm. These are the remains of William's countermeasures. Cheeky.'

Mee said, her mouth hanging open in a sulky manner.

Of course, there is no such thing as a protection against me (William), and if I had to use that expression, I would say that it is a protection against mages.

However, the fact that my informational spells are useless can be viewed positively as follows.

'So, Mee, I'm glad you're here. I'll need your help to get through this dungeon.

'Hmmm...'

I patted Mee's head again.
Mee's cheeks flushed with happiness and embarrassment, and she accepted it.
Her cat ears twitched occasionally, and her upraised tail wagged.

It was so cute that I wanted to hug it.
But somehow I managed to put on the brakes with my self-control.

'...... You really do have a demonic charm, don't you, Mee?

'Hmmm ......? What is it?

'No, it's nothing.

I'm not sure if I'd be able to say yes to a girl like this, but I'd be a fool not to.

I used to think I was an intelligent person, but now I'm thinking that maybe I'm not.


I'm not sure.


In the end, he gave up on any further information and decided to open the door honestly.

Mee leaned towards the door, pushed it open a little, and peered through the crack.

And then... Mee made a blatantly disgusted face.

'Oh, ......, there's a really nasty guy here.

'What's wrong?

'I'll know it when I see it.

Mee pushed the door open carelessly.
Seeing the scene beyond, I understood the meaning of what she said.

What lay beyond the door was a bleak little room, except for one thing.
It looked a lot like the room we were in.
The space was so small that a few steps would bring us to the other side of the wall, and there was a door on the opposite wall.

The only thing unique about it.
It was a sword propped up on a pedestal in the center of the room.

The sword was unsheathed, the hilt was decorated with jewels, and the blade had a wavy edge reminiscent of fire.
Looking at the shape of the blade, he felt that it resembled a type of sword called a flamberge.

'It's a good thing Satsuki isn't here.

'Not at all. I can see her skipping to draw her sword.

Mee and I laughed behind the backs of our fellow girls who were not present.
Backbiting is usually a bad thing, but neither of us dislikes the girl, so it's okay.

'But what should we do about it?

'Well, ...... I think it's more like an imitator than anything else, but there's always a chance. I'm not sure if you can hit it with a throwing knife.

I see. It's a little difficult, but I'll give it a try.

Mee replied, pulling out a small throwing knife from its holder on her thigh.
Then she aimed sharply at her target.

After confirming this, I also raise my staff and start chanting.
By the way, we haven't even entered the room yet.

Huh!
Mee shot a throwing knife.

It hit the blade of the sword stuck in the pedestal without missing, and of course there was no sound of metal hitting metal.

Of course, there was no sound of metal clashing with metal. Mi's throwing knife dug into the blade of the sword.
It wasn't as if the metal of the blade had been pierced and cracked, but more like it had bitten into the flesh.

In the first place, if it really is a powerful magic sword, it is unlikely that it will be damaged by Mi's throwing knife, but in any case, this is confirmed.

I can't believe it!
The one that was in the form of a sword ( ) screams.

Then it changes its shape, becoming a gray clay, and tries to rise.

'Magic Missile!

I slam four arrows of light into it.
There is no need for amplification by multiple spell casting.

The sounds of rupture echoed in succession.

The arrows of light made each part of the swirling clay that had been hit burst apart, creating a wind hole no bigger than a fist.



The clay-like substance that had been trying to expand ceased its activity.
It crumbled and slowly melted, spreading out over the pedestal, until it resembled a motionless lump of clay.

'...... are you finished?

I nodded to Mee, who asked me that.
The imitator should not have the intelligence to fake its own death.

The imitator, or 'mimic' as the monster is called, is literally a magical creature that disguises itself as some sort of inanimate object, waits for its prey, and then unintentionally kills those who are tricked into approaching it.

It is relatively common to see them mimicking chests of treasure - a common name for them is 'mimics' - but they can also take on different forms, as in this case.

However, it is too obvious to find the target treasure immediately after entering the dungeon.
The fact that the word 'challenge' was used on the stone monument at the entrance suggests that the structure is not that simple, and that we should be suspicious of such things.

Anyway, this imitator trap is clear.
I breathed a sigh of relief.

'Are we off to a good start?

I nod my head again as Mee asks me this.

'Yes. But let's keep our eyes open.

'Of course. But you can give me more nudges. This isn't carelessness, it's the reward of victory. William, if there's anything you want me to do for you, just let me know, okay?

Mee said and smiled at me.

I'm not sure what you want me to do,......, but I want you to do it.
In the event that you have any questions regarding where and the best way to get in touch with us, please do not hesitate to contact us.

'No, not particularly.'

'Are you sure? ...... If you want, you can even do something naughty.'

She said this with a blush on her cheeks and an upward glance.
The sight of her made me nervous.

However, she quickly turned around and said,

I'm sorry, but... Did you take me seriously? I'm just kidding. Don't do anything naughty.

This time, she put her right index finger to her mouth and winked at me.
It was absurdly cute.

That's when I lost the grip on my reason and said something like this.

'Does wanting to hug Mee count as being naughty?

'Heck, ......?

Mee froze as if she had turned to stone.
I came back to myself and coughed.

'No, that was a joke.

'......, is that so? You can't blame them if it's a joke. ...... William's jokes are very bad. Let's move on, shall we?

'Yeah, sure.'

The atmosphere was rather delicate.
Mee and I crossed the room where the imitator was, looking distant from each other.

At that time, I thought that Mee mumbled something, but I couldn't hear what she said.