Today, Iz Palut's expression was unusually serious.
"Rei."
"Starting today, we're heading out on a long journey."
Kanzaki Rei froze for a moment.
"A long journey?"
Kumironi answered in his place.
"That's right. The Month of Harvest has arrived."
"We're going to subjugate an extremely dangerous dungeon."
Rei blinked.
"Wait… you're going by yourselves?"
"Can't you take me with you?"
Akasei leaned against the wall and nodded seriously.
"Kid, this time is different from before."
"The dungeon we're challenging is a Tier 7 Dungeon."
"We might not have the spare strength to protect you."
A Tier 7 dungeon?
Rei's mind stalled.
"Wait a second. Aren't you guys only Level 5?"
He was no longer the clueless newcomer he had been at the beginning. Over the past days, he had crammed an enormous amount of knowledge about this world.
A Tier 7 dungeon could practically be called one of the most vicious dungeons in existence.
Dungeon tiers corresponded to adventurer levels.
A party of Level 2 adventurers could challenge a Tier 2 dungeon.
Level 3 adventurers challenged Tier 3.
And so on.
Even so, many adventurers still died in dungeons matching their own level.
The higher the dungeon's tier—
The greater the danger.
In fact, Level 5 adventurers exploring Tier 5 dungeons had a far higher mortality rate than Level 2 adventurers exploring Tier 2 dungeons.
Rei raised his head and asked,
"Iz… isn't this too risky?"
Iz replied calmly.
"Rei, we're stronger than you think."
Rei shook his head firmly.
"I know you're strong. But crossing two entire tiers—you should understand better than anyone what that means."
Rei looked straight at him and asked,
"Iz, answer honestly. Even you—if you were Level 2—could you defeat Level 4 me?"
Iz responded without a second of hesitation.
"I would win."
…Tch.
Right.
I forgot he's an arrogant lunatic.
Rei absolutely did not believe Iz could defeat his Level 4 self.
By Level 4, he would possess at least four God-Tier talents.
Not just against a Level 2 Iz Palut—
Even against a Level 4 Iz Palut, Rei doubted he would lose again.
Right now, Iz could defeat him because of many factors: vastly superior combat experience, deeper understanding of magic, a greater number of mastered spells, and hidden techniques.
But as Rei continued growing—
Those gaps would inevitably shrink.
"Iz!"
"You're the one who taught me that reckless action is unacceptable!"
Everything before this had been manageable.
But this plan?
This was practically raising a giant death flag.
Rei couldn't just watch them march into something that dangerous.
However, the one who responded this time wasn't Iz.
It was Kumironi.
She crouched down so she was face-to-face with Rei and spoke gently.
"Rei."
"This subjugation won't be carried out by just our party."
"This is a large-scale coalition expedition. Not only the Kingdom of Loren—powerful adventurer guilds from nearby kingdoms will be joining as well."
"That's why we've been resting here in Rane Town."
"When the Month of Harvest arrives, it becomes our day of assembly."
"And this dungeon isn't just about the bounty. We have a reason we absolutely must go."
"You know what happens if a dungeon is left alone for too long."
"Monsters will eventually leave the dungeon and spill into the outside world—bringing catastrophe."
"For a Tier 7 dungeon, the disaster those monsters would bring to the world would be devastating."
"And after this will come the Month of War and Fire, then the Month of Storage and Cold, and finally the Month of Death and Destruction."
"Those months would only amplify the disaster beyond imagination."
"We must eliminate this dungeon during the Month of Luck and Harvest—the most suitable time for an expedition."
"This… is our responsibility."
Kumironi spoke with absolute clarity.
They truly had no choice but to go.
Akasei crouched down as well.
"Kid, don't worry."
"We'll definitely come back."
Hey—hey…
That's exactly the kind of line I'm afraid of hearing.
Akasei, your back is already covered in flags.
Completely filled with death flags.
If you say something like 'I have a childhood sweetheart waiting back home for our wedding', you're absolutely doomed…
Iz crouched down as well, flashing his usual bright smile.
"We'll be back in half a month. Trust me."
"Besides, don't you still need Kumironi to host your advancement ceremony?"
"If she isn't here, you won't be able to continue leveling until you're sixteen."
"She definitely won't abandon you."
Seeing Iz smile like that—
Rei felt even more uneasy.
I really don't want to hear this kind of thing from you guys, Iz…
The more you talk like this, the more it feels like you're not coming back.
But—
What could he possibly use to stop them?
Clearing that Tier 7 dungeon was something they had decided long ago.
After spending these days with them, Rei understood their sense of justice.
There was no way they would ignore a Tier 7 dungeon.
Moreover, they had already agreed upon a gathering time with other adventurers.
Backing out now would endanger those who were waiting for them.
He couldn't let everyone suffer just because of his personal worries.
Seeing Rei's gloomy expression, Iz thought for a moment before speaking.
"Rei. The Month of Harvest is the best time to explore dungeons."
"While we're gone, you could try exploring one yourself."
"With your talent, sooner or later you'll have to explore dungeons anyway."
"We can't stay by your side forever."
Iz patted Rei on the shoulder.
"I didn't leave you any magic books."
"Because I'll be coming back."
"I'll personally teach you the path of magic that lies ahead."
Iz smiled confidently.
"I'm a mage with dreams too. Until I reach the Root of Magic, I won't fall so easily… absolutely not."
"And besides—I'm strong."
"Stronger than every other mage."
"The strongest mage."
"So… nothing will happen to me."
Rei looked straight into Iz's eyes.
He bit his lip.
This body was embarrassingly prone to tears—
But this time, he held them back.
Rei nodded firmly.
"Iz. I hope you're truly as strong as you say."
"I still haven't learned what comes after Mana Enhancement."
"If you die there… I'll lose my inheritance."
Iz grinned.
"Of course."
Akasei raised a hand.
"Hey! Don't forget me. I'm strong too, you know!"
"I'm not weaker than him! With the War Emperor in this team, you can relax, kid."
"Once we finish this job, we'll be real heroes."
"Haha—well, we already are!"
Rei glanced at the warrior.
Akasei…
You're the one I'm most worried about.
Iz might survive.
But you feel like the one most likely to die in there.
Every sentence you say is another death flag.
Kumironi stood up.
"It's getting late. We should depart."
"The beginning of the lunar transition carries the strongest influence."
"We cannot waste this precious moment. We cannot waste the blessing of fortune."
Iz looked at Kumironi.
"Yeah."
He patted Rei's shoulder one last time.
"We're going. Wait for me to come back."
With that—
They waved goodbye to Rei and left one by one.
...
After Iz and the others departed—
An empty feeling filled Rei's chest.
Since arriving in this other world, he had spent almost all his time with them.
After watching them disappear beyond the door—
Rei remained standing in the hall, staring silently at the entrance for a long time.
As if the entire other world—
Had suddenly been reduced to just himself alone.