Chapter 226

The room was vast, its white stone walls polished to a soft sheen that reflected the enchanted light without glare. It was large enough to host fifty people comfortably, yet now it felt strangely empty. Silence stretched across the space,broken only by the faint echo of breathing and the distant murmur beyond the door.

A long table dominated the center of the room.

Kana, Suri, Boris, and Elle sat side by side at one end, their chairs aligned with almost ceremonial precision. They had been there for nearly half an hour, the minutes passing slowly, each one pressing a little harder than the last.

Suri shifted in her seat, drumming her fingers against the tabletop before leaning back with a sigh. “You got any snacks here?”

Elle didn’t even look surprised. “None. This room is reserved for important meetings. Food isn’t allowed so people can focus on the discussion.”

“That makes sense,” Kana said, nodding. The quiet, the emptiness, the lack of distraction. It all felt intentional.

“Boring,” Suri muttered under her breath.

The massive doors at the far end of the room finally opened.

They did not creak.

They moved smoothly, silently, as if well aware of their purpose.

A man stepped inside.

His hair was silver, not with age. It was cut short and neat, the same shade as Elle’s, leaving no doubt about their blood relation. His jaw was sharp, his expression controlled, and unlike most of the clergy Kana had seen around the estate, he wore light armor beneath his cloak.

Kana could tell it was a dungeon item. She recognized the faint gleam in the metal, the subtle enchantments woven into its surface. This was not ceremonial. It was armor meant to be worn by someone who expected danger, even now.

He looked young for his age. Too young. Fit. Balanced. Dangerous. Kana’s instincts stirred. She measured him without meaning to and felt a quiet, unwelcome certainty settle in her chest. She wasn’t sure she could win against this man though he wasn’t on the level of Zia or the guildmaster. 

“Sorry,” he said as he approached the table, his voice calm but firm. “You arrived earlier than expected. I had urgent business outside.”

He sat across from them with ease, folding his hands atop the table. “I’m Mikael York. Elle’s father. I’ve heard quite a lot about you.”

The trio stood at once, bowing their heads respectfully.

Mikael York was famous. More famous than the king, in some ways. In the commoner districts, many people couldn’t name the ruler of the kingdom, but nearly all of them knew Mikael. The former Holy Knight. The protector of the church and the common people. The man who had helped rebuild villages, defend caravans, and quietly solve problems no one else could.

Mikael let out a short laugh. “Relax. No need to be stiff. Just be yourselves.”

His eyes moved across them, sharp and discerning. “Boris. Suri. Kana.”

Then his tone shifted.

The warmth drained away, leaving something colder, more precise. “And don’t misunderstand me. I agreed to meet you because I wanted to see Kana in person. Elle will not be joining you. You may try to convince me, but my answer will remain the same.”

His gaze locked onto Kana.

“Kana,” he continued, voice low, “you’ve become quite famous outside the kingdom. You need to be more careful. According to the intelligence we’ve gathered, someone out there intends to harm you.”

Kana swallowed. “Is it because I defeated one of the empire’s students?”

Mikael nodded once. “Some people are already viewing you as a threat. Not now, perhaps, but in the decades to come.”

Understanding slid into place, heavy and uncomfortable. Kana murmured, “That’s why the king suggested assigning a royal knight to guard us during our raids…”

Mikael’s brows knit together, disbelief flickering across his face. “The king told you that?”

Kana hesitated, then reached into her pocket. She produced the insignia and placed it on the table. “Yes. He said this was one of the perks.”

Mikael stared at it.

The room seemed to tighten.

He frowned, then leaned closer, squinting slightly. “I recognize this. But did the king explain what it actually means?”

Kana shook her head. “He only said it carries a small part of his authority.”

Mikael chuckled softly, though there was no humor in it. “Is that so? Well, if that’s what the king told you, I suppose I won’t contradict him.”

Kana felt it then.

Mikael knew more.

The thought lodged itself firmly in her mind, and as he leaned back in his chair, she prepared herself to ask the question that had begun to burn at the edge of her thoughts.

Suri cleared her throat, the sound cutting cleanly through the stillness of the room.

Kana felt it immediately. The signal. This was her turn.

“Sir Mikael,” Suri began, her tone respectful but firm, “you should allow Elle to accompany us on our dungeon raids.”

Mikael turned his head toward Suri.His expression did not change, not even slightly. There was no surprise there, only patience. The kind worn by a man who had already decided the outcome before the question was asked.

He offered a faint smile.

Suri pressed on anyway.

“Anything can happen inside a dungeon,” she said, her voice gaining momentum. “Collapsed tunnels. Ambushes. Monsters that don’t care how talented you are. Elle’s healing abilities could be the difference between life and death. If something happens to us because we lack proper support…” She paused, eyes locking onto Mikael’s. “That responsibility will follow you.”

Mikael did not flinch.

“You’re no longer children,” he replied calmly. “You are responsible for your own choices. And for whatever consequences follow them. Those consequences have nothing to do with me.”

The words landed like cold stone.

Suri’s eyes twitched.

Kana felt it. That faint ripple of irritation radiating off her like heat from a spark about to catch fire.

Failed plan, Kana thought grimly.

Then Suri stood.

The chair scraped loudly against the stone floor, the sound echoing through the room. Even Mikael’s gaze sharpened, his attention fully drawn now.

“That may be true for us,” Suri said, her voice rising, carrying emotion like a blade wrapped in silk. “But what about your daughter?” She stepped forward, her movements sudden and dramatic, borrowed straight from Toby’s over-the-top theatrics.

“You have no idea how suffocating this place is for her,” Suri continued. “Day after day, the same halls. The same prayers. The same walls. She’s like a bird locked in a cage—wings folded, never allowed to fly in the sky.”

With a sharp, exaggerated motion, Suri pointed at Elle.

“Look at her.”

Elle’s shoulders trembled.

A soft sound escaped her lips, fragile and raw. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes, spilling over as she quickly lifted a sleeve to wipe them away. “She’s right, Father,” Elle said, her voice shaking just enough to pierce the heart. “I want to see more of the world.”

Kana watched closely.

With her [High Awareness], the truth was unmistakable.

Elle’s heartbeat hadn’t changed. Her breathing remained steady. The tears were real, but the timing was perfect. Controlled. Practiced.

A flawless performance. Just as Suri probably had instructed.

Mikael’s hand trembled.

The sharpness in his gaze wavered, cracking like stone under pressure. The legendary Holy Knight, the man who had faced monsters and armies alike, suddenly looked like nothing more than a father.

He stood.

His chair tipped back slightly before settling, forgotten. He walked around the table and took Elle’s hands in his own, gripping them tightly as if afraid she might disappear.

“I didn’t know,” he murmured, voice low and unsteady.

Kana felt the atmosphere change.

The battle had ended. He didn’t look like it but he was certainly a devoted father.

Mikael straightened slowly, his shoulders heavy with reluctant resolve. “Very well,” he said at last. “I will allow it.”

Suri nearly grinned.

“But,” Mikael continued, raising a finger, his voice regaining some steel, “Elle will not go alone. One of my most trusted men will accompany her at all times. Her safety is non-negotiable.”

Elle nodded eagerly.

Kana exhaled quietly. Relief and excitement at the same time. Finally, they would attempt a higher level dungeon. Suri’s plan worked and probably inspired by how she treated her own always missing father.

What’s uncle doing now? Is he supposed to be working now in the capital?

….

The trio chose to spend the night within the academy grounds.

Though the school year had officially ended, the place was far from empty. Lanterns glowed along stone corridors, their light catching on drifting breath in the cold night air. Upperclassmen still lingered, hunched over personal research, whispered debates echoing faintly from alchemy rooms and halls. The academy felt like a creature refusing to sleep, even when told it should though she didn’t even see a shadow of any professors.

Kana slipped away from the others and made her way to the library.

At this hour, the ambiance was nearly not different from the western graveyard.

Shelves towered like gravestones, their shadows stretching long and skeletal across the floor. Only a handful of enchanted lamps burned, humming softly as if afraid to break the silence. Kana welcomed it. This was where she thought best.

She pulled tomes from the southern section. High-level dungeon records. Monsters behaviour and weaknesses. Failed expeditions annotated in careful, regret-heavy ink. If Elle truly accompanied them, Kana intended to test their limits and of course, not recklessly.

Morning arrived cold and pale though warmer at least compared to before.

Suri yawned for what must have been the tenth time as they neared through the southern gates, her steps sluggish, eyes half-lidded. Adam followed behind them, quiet as usual, having stayed within the academy these past few days rather than returning home or rather he had no idea where the [Barbarian] nomads were now. Thorne though was peacefully sleeping on top of Boris head as if the cold was helping her rest.

When they reached the gathering point, a few people were already present. 

“Kana!” Yuri’s voice rang out, far too energetic for the hour.

She stood nearest the gate, waving both arms. Two wagons were parked behind her. One bore the crest of Duke Stark, sturdy and practical. The other gleamed white and gold, ornate even in simplicity—came from the church, probably.

“You look like you came here too early,” Kana said.

Yuri laughed, though her face was pale. “My mom said the same thing, but I couldn’t sleep! I’ve never gone beyond the walls except during the northern expedition. I’m excited to see what the south looks like.”

She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Kana, pressing close for warmth. Almost immediately, Suri latched on from the other side.

Kana sighed. “I am not a chimney.”

“Yes you are,” Suri muttered.

Rin arrived shortly after, hopping down from one of the wagons. Her boots crunched softly against frost-dusted stone as she joined them.

“Elle and Leo aren’t here yet?” Kana asked, glancing at the wagons again.

Yuri nodded. “The coachman said they were sent ahead of time.”

Kana clicked her tongue. “Of course.”

“Nobles really are different,” Boris muttered.

Gradually, the rest arrived. Andel. Toby, bouncing on his heels. Leo, calm and composed. Then Elle, stepping down from the church wagon, white cloak fluttering faintly in the breeze.

Roy came last.

The trio stiffened on instinct.

Roy blinked. “What?”

“Nothing,” Kana said quickly.

They relaxed only slightly.

Introductions followed. Kier stepped forward first, speaking with confidence. Kana barely listened. Her attention had locked onto two familiar figures standing behind the group.

Monde, the [Paladin].

The same man who had erected the barrier around the orphanage. His armor gleamed softly as if the holy symbols etched with restraint rather than excess.

Beside him stood Lex.

Bald with a tough expression. The royal knight with the class of [Assassin].

Kana wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or unsettled. Lex’s presence meant one thing. If anything went wrong, the king would know immediately. 

They introduced themselves formally in a polite way to the group. Several students exchanged startled looks. A royal knight personally guarding them was not something anyone had expected. They even thought Kana was simply bluffing just to get their parent’s approval.

Kana, however, had already changed her focus elsewhere.

Before the dungeon. Before the risks.

She needed answers. The new bow rested quietly at her back, untested. The skill book remained in her [Inventory]. 

She would visit the [Analyst] grandma first. 

One thing she noticed, the guild appraisers were a bit on a crude side. Useful, but few compared to the old woman. The old woman saw deeper. Far deeper.

Kana had learned long ago that ignorance was more dangerous than any monster. Before she would test her new bow, she must at least know what effect it had. Who knows, the bow itself might be cursed.

Post note:
Expect a bit more complex dungeon(like the fruit dungeon)
Have a great weekend!
Hope you enjoy the chap! 🙂