ZAP – Chapter 146: Eugene Talks with the First Knight

The First Knight, Claire Lancelot-sama. Also known as the King’s Sword of the Dungeon City.

Her long, beautiful blonde hair and silver light armor shimmered, perhaps due to the mana of the Fairies.

Combined with her striking beauty, her appearance was almost like that of a heavenly angel… No, she exuded an even more divine aura than Rita-san, the angel responsible for the 100th floor, or my mother, who gets overly fussy when it comes to Eri.

When King Uther, the highest authority of the Dungeon City, is absent, the First Knight holds the king’s proxy authority. Such a person approached me with a casual smile.

“Are you training, Claire-sama?” (Eugene)

“There’s no need to call me with ‘-sama’, Eugene-kun.” (Claire)

“But…” (Eugene)

“I insist.” (Claire)

Her tone, though still smiling, left no room for argument.

“Well then, Claire-san.” (Eugene)

“That’s better.” (Claire)

The First Knight-sama smiled warmly.

“Are you training as well, Eugene-kun? If so, how about a sparring session?” (Claire)

“With you, Claire-sama… Claire-san? Are you sure I’m up to the task?” (Eugene)

“I’ve been curious about the swordsmanship of the Eugene-kun who severed the Hydra’s head.” (Claire)

“If you say so…” (Eugene)

I readied my white Heaven Sword.

I infused it with mana and the blade emitted a radiant glow.

“Then, I shall… Come forth, my dear Fairies.” (Claire)

Her magical sword was drawn before I knew it, enveloped in a faint green light.

Claire-sama whispered something inaudible, and the radiance intensified.

She must have been speaking in the Fairy Language.

A visible, dense swirl of mana surrounded her.

(This mana… It surpasses even Sumire who is an Ifrit…) (Eugene)

While no one could rival Sumire in individual mana reserves, the Fairies’ mana elevated Claire’s power to this extent.

“Why aren’t you coming at me?” (Claire)

Claire wore an excited expression with her magic sword poised.

“Then, I’ll take this opportunity.” (Eugene)

I kicked off the ground and used Twin Heavenly Resonance Style: Sky Walk to circle behind her.

Claire-sama’s gaze couldn’t keep up with my movements.

(I can do this.) (Eugene)

As I prepared to strike from behind…

A sudden, mana-charged gust surged toward me.

“Ugh!” 

It didn’t break my stance, but the timing for my attack was thrown off.

“Is that the East Continent’s technique used by the Emperor’s Sword? Impressive speed.” (Claire)

Claire’s expression was one of relaxed confidence.

I recognized the gust from earlier.

“A wind barrier…?” (Eugene)

“Exactly. The Fairies instinctively create barrier magic for me.” (Claire)

“That’s convenient… Alright!” (Eugene)

 I thrust my sword mid-conversation.

“[Mystic Fairy Dance].” (Claire)

With a slight swing of her sword, Claire unleashed blades of mana, which spiraled outward in all directions.

(An offensive and defensive mana blade barrier…?!) (Eugene)

Claire executed a luxurious technique by drawing on the Fairies’ immense power which allows her to use a large amount of mana.

Something beyond my ability, but worth noting for reference.

(Attacks like this might suit Sumire.) (Eugene)

I analyzed the possibilities while deflecting the magic blades.

“You’re fending them off effortlessly. Let’s try this next: [Rain of Fairy Spears].” (Claire)

(Oh no.) (Eugene)

Hundreds of glowing spears materialized behind Claire.

Dodging or deflecting them seemed impossible with a sword.

“Barrier Magic: [Great Shield of Light].” (Eugene)

I activated barrier magic without hesitation.

The next moment, hundreds of spears of light rained down upon me.

◇Claire Lancelot’s POV◇

(Quite remarkable.) (Claire)

I evaluated the skills of this young magic swordsman from the Legendary Hero Department of the Magic Academy.

Eugene-kun evaded, deflected, and parried my attacks with ease.

Of course, I was holding back.

Each of my magical attacks was toned down to ensure no serious injuries if they landed.

(Still, I couldn’t even leave a scratch… Hm!?) (Claire)

Eugene-kun suddenly vanished from sight.

However, the Fairies informed me of his location.

A gust of wind surged upward toward my head.

I heard a faint grunt, “Ugh”. It seems Eugene-kun was hit by the wind in midair, but he skillfully adjusted his posture and landed gracefully.

He was already poised, leaving no openings.

His eyes, fixed on me, were…

(Like a wolf eyeing its prey.) (Claire)

Moments ago, during our conversation, he seemed like a kind and good-natured young man. Yet with a sword in hand, his demeanor transformed completely.

(His stance changed?) (Claire)

Having failed twice to exploit blind spots from behind and above, his next move…

—Be careful. 

The Fairies warned.

Eugene-kun’s sword was now aimed…

(At my neck!) (Claire)

Eugene-kun’s swordsmanship was from the same famous school as the Sword Saint of the Eastern Continent.

Even the Imperial Sword of the Grandflare Empire followed this technique.

I am certain this next strike will be of a different caliber than his previous attempts.

Then 

—XXXXXXXXXX (Help me, Fairies!) (Claire)

Holding back here would be rude.

Gathering mana into my fairy sword, the blade became a radiant beam of light.

(…He’s coming.) (Claire)

Eugene-kun gave almost no hint of initiating an attack.

Yet, the perceptive Fairies alerted me to the exact timing.

“Twin Heavenly Resonance Style…” (Eugene)

“Fairy Magic…” (Claire)

As I was about to cast my spell—

“Stop right there! You can’t do this!”

A voice intervened, stepping between us.

“Amarilis-san?” (Eugene)

“Eugene-kun! What are you doing?!” (Amarilis)

It appeared to be someone Eugene-kun knew. If I remember correctly, a relatively new guild staff member, Amarilis Fiore-kun.

“As you can see, I’m sparring with Claire-san.” (Eugene)

“C-Claire-san?! How dare you address The King’s Sword, Claire-sama, so casually?!” (Amarilis)

“It’s fine. I requested it.” (Claire)

“Is that so…?” (Amarilis)

I reassured her.

Though still skeptical, Amarilis-kun seemed to accept my explanation. Then she turned to me, her expression stern.

“Claire-sama! Isn’t large-scale fairy magic prohibited in the guild’s training grounds?” (Amarilis)

(…Oops.) (Claire)

I got too heated and completely forgot.

Looking around the training ground, the damage was… extensive. The ground was gouged out and filled with holes. A horrible sight.

“Uh… I’ll fix it.” (Claire)

“Please do. The guild’s budget is tight these days, so repair costs would be difficult to cover.” (Amarilis)

She wasn’t wrong.

To adapt to the Dungeon Master’s erratic rules, the guild had recently increased staff, straining its finances.

The quickest way to generate funds was to challenge the Zenith Tower, defeat the Floor Bosses, and retrieve treasures.

Currently, even the Knights of the Round Table were preparing for a tower expedition.

“So, Eugene-kun, did you come to the guild for something specific?” (Amarilis)

“Oh, is that so?” (Claire)

I assumed it was for training like me, but apparently not.

“Yes. If you know anything, I’d appreciate it if you could share…” (Eugene)

Eugene-kun began to talk about the strange monsters that appeared among the creatures in the Zenith Tower.

Monsters that didn’t obey their summoners.

Deranged creatures that even turned their fangs on the Dungeon Master.

All of it was news to me.

“Amarilis-kun, do you know anything about this?” (Claire)

“No, Claire-sama. It hasn’t been a major concern within the Dungeon Alliance, but it is intriguing.” (Amarilis)

“I agree. Especially the part about even the Dungeon Master being unaware.” (Claire)

“Nearly every problem recently has involved the Dungeon Master, Anemoi Babel, in some capacity after all.” (Amarilis)

Both Amarilis-kun and I crossed our arms, pondering the matter.

“I see… In that case, I’ll head to the Zenith Tower.” (Eugene)

“”Eh!?””

Amarilis-kun and I both raised our voices in surprise.

“Is something wrong?” (Eugene)

“Aren’t you tired? You seemed to use quite a bit of magic and swordplay in our earlier sparring.” (Claire)

“Exactly, Eugene-kun! Claire-sama gets carried away and forgets to hold back. You were bombarded with so much fairy magic that this training ground was nearly destroyed! Heading straight to the Last Dungeon after that is reckless!” (Amarilis)

“……”

Is that really how the dungeon staff sees me? I’ve always thought of myself as a cool, composed First Knight…

“Now that you mention it, I am a bit tired. I’ll help repair the training ground and rest afterward.” (Eugene)

With that, Eugene began repairing the training ground with a seemingly tireless stride.

“No, you don’t have to. I’ll handle the training ground repairs.” (Claire)

“I’m good at restoration magic and fixing things.” (Eugene)

Eugene-kun replied, taking the lead in the repairs.

At that point, neither Amarilis-kun nor I could leave it all to him, so we hurried to assist.

As we worked, Amarilis-kun and I conversed in hushed tones.

“He’s a peculiar man, isn’t he?” (Claire)

“Totally. And it’s rare for him to be without one of his many girlfriends today.” (Amarilis)

“Now that you mention it, King Uther also said something like that…” (Claire)

“Despite how he seems, he’s quite the ladies’ man. He’s being pursued by a reincarnated otherworlder, the next Holy Maiden of the Holy Union, and the first in line to the Grandflare Empire’s throne!” (Amarilis)

“I didn’t know about the last one. So Princess Airi is also enamored with him?” (Claire)

“They’re childhood friends, apparently. She even followed him here.” (Amarilis)

“You’re well-informed.” (Claire)

“I’m a dungeon staff member, after all.” (Amarilis)

Amarilis-kun said, puffing her chest out proudly.

I thought to myself that being dungeon staff probably had little to do with it, but I let it slide. Having information is never a bad thing.

In the end, it took about two hours to restore the training ground.

“We’re done.” (Eugene)

“Thanks for helping out.” (Claire)

“It’s only natural since I also trained here.” (Claire) 

“Though, 99% of the damage was caused by Claire-sama’s fairy magic.” 

Amarilis-kun muttered under her breath.

Well, given that she hadn’t done anything and was made to help anyway, I suppose a little snark was warranted.

“Ah, I’m so tired! I want to soak in a bath!” 

Amarilis-kun exclaimed while stretching widely.

“Shall we go to the large bathhouse next to the Dungeon Guild? The timing should line up with the end of the day’s work.” (Claire)

“It’s expensive, though! It mainly caters to high-ranking explorers with big paychecks. We regular staff can’t just drop by casually.” (Amarilis)

Amarilis-kun cast furtive glances in my direction.

This was our first real conversation, but she had quite the personality. Not that I minded.

“I’ll treat you. Dinner, too.” (Claire)

“Yay! Woohoo☆!” (Amarilis)

Her joy was so pure and unrestrained that it made treating her worth it.

“Eugene-kun, why don’t you join us for dinner too?” (Claire)

I invited him.

“I’m heading to the Zenith Tower for camping and a quick nap before exploring, so I’ll pass this time.” (Eugene)

“”…Huh?”” 

Amarilis-kun and I stared at him in astonishment.

“You’re not going home?” (Amarilis)

“Eugene, you have way too much energy.” (Claire)

“Do I? I don’t think so.” (Eugene)

He looked completely unfazed, without a hint of fatigue on his face.

“Well then, I’ll be off. Claire-sama, thank you for the training. Amarilis, if you hear any new information about the Zenith Tower, please let me know.” (Eugene)

He departed with light steps, leaving Amarilis-kun and me to simply watch him go.

■Comment Response:

>Eh, is he going to conquer Claire-san too? (collateral damage)

-Claire-san is not a heroine (tentatively).

>Airi is way too cute in her illustration.

-I am really satisfied with being able to see Airi drawn.

I actually wanted Airi to be the front cover of the 3rd volume, but I gave that one to Sara.

■Author’s Comment:

The 4th volume’s illustration features Claire Lancelot, the First Knight, who, despite looking like a student, is actually in her late twenties (and single).

The red stuff on the ground is the dress of Anemoi. 

I will introduce her in the next chapter.

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