An Angel Lives in the Academy
Chapter 166: The Angel Who Raids a Dungeon (4)

Once upon a time, there existed a race called dragons.

Like angels, they were beings of the sky. It's said that in ancient times, they fought against heaven for dominion over the skies.

And the remnants of those battles are the ‘Martial Arts of the Archangel who Tramples Dragons.’

But the opportunity for that martial art to truly shine, would never easily come. After all, dragons are now on the brink of extinction.

After the death of Lumari, the Sky Dragon,

only two dragons remained.

Ormantor the Destroyer, a part of the demon army, and Yumari, the daughter of Lumari.

‘Those items are…’

And a set of items created for such dragons. The Splendor of the Dragon King Family.

‘That item set, said to be secretly passed down through the Dragon King’s lineage…’

A jet-black satin cloak embroidered with golden thread made from dragon scales. A tight black wedding corset that accentuates Yumari's figure. Here too, golden patterns were engraved.

Jet-black, contrasting beautifully with white skin.

White skin.

‘It looks a little lewd.’

Leffrey lowered his eyes without saying a word.

The long black boots, complete with garter belts. And even the skirt of the Central Academy uniform.

“Hawaawa.”

Leffrey, blushing, let out a girlish sound and turned his head. Then he quickly organized his thoughts.

‘The Splendor of the Dragon King Family. Like the Magical Girl Awakening set, it’s one of those item sets with incredible stats, in exchange for demanding equip conditions.’

It was true.

The Splendor of the Dragon King Family was one of the item sets Leffrey had been considering. Although the conditions to equip it were strict, its stats were as incredible as the Magical Girl Awakening Set.

‘First, it drastically amplifies a dragon’s abilities and allows the user to use Dragon Fear. And despite exposing so much skin, its defense is incredible. And yet, since it’s made of fabric, it doesn’t restrict movement at all. It’s a perfect item set for Mari, who’s a martial artist.’

And the best part about this set,

Was that it drastically increased the wearer’s strength.

To a level that no other item could match.

And there were only two conditions to equip it. Be female, and have a strong dragon bloodline.

‘Our Mari meets all those conditions. But…’

But…?

‘In the end, I gave up on this item set. The side effects were too severe.’

As with everything in this world,

Power always comes with a price.

If the Magical Girl Awakening Set demands that one act like a magical girl in return…

‘The Splendor of the Dragon King Family demands the desires of a dragon.’

A dragon, a tyrant who must have everything they desired, a hoarder who piles gold and treasures in their lair, unwilling to share even a single piece.

The madness that never let go of what it craved, the cruelty of a dragon that looks down on and ignores everything in the world.

That item set,

Instills such desires in its wearer.

‘Just look at Ormantor. You can see how dangerous a dragon's instincts are.’

So, she shouldn’t wear The Splendor of the Dragon King Family.

That was Leffrey’s conclusion.

“Um, Mari.”

“Yes.”

“I think that item might be a bit much for you.”

However, Yumari tilted her head as if she didn't understand.

“What do you mean? I think there's no item set more suited to me than this. It doesn't hinder mobility while providing good defense, and on top of that, its strength-enhancing effect is this impressive.”

“That's true, but, well, um, that item has some side effects.”

Leffrey was about to open his mouth.

But Yumari spoke first.

“You mean the side effect of awakening one’s dragon’s instincts.”

“…Yeah, I’m not saying that I don't trust you, but a dragon’s instincts are dangerous.”

“Leffrey.”

Yumari smiled faintly.

Leffrey couldn't tell if that smile was an act or genuine.

Her eyes that seemed to be looking at some distant place.

Those slightly unfocused eyes.

Was that gaze also an act?

“Have I ever desired anything as a dragon?”

A memory of wanting something as a dragon.

Excluding the time when she abandoned this world and escaped to the other world, I don’t recall any memories of her like that.

‘Actually, even that wasn’t because of her dragon instincts…’

Escaping from abuse,

It was a human instinct.

“…I don’t think so.”

“Right?”

Yumari murmured while stroking her black satin cloak.

“Then I’ll be taking this item set.”

“Hmm…”

Leffrey fell into deep thought.

In truth, there was no item set with performance as good as the Splendor of the Dragon King Family for Yumari. If that's the case, shouldn't we have to accept some side effects….?

‘The Dragon Lord’s Nest is dangerous. Even if we have to take on a bit of risk, there's no choice.’

Leffrey made up his mind and nodded.

“Alright. But if anything feels strange, tell me right away.”

“Okay.”

Yumari smiled.

And this time, even Leffrey could tell that smile wasn’t an act.

For some reason, it gives him goosebumps.

And finally, the last girl to receive her items was Hongwol.

This pink girl who appeared with a suspicious nasal sound...

“Ehem.”

“Did you leave everything behind?”

“Obviously.”

She spread her hands wide, proving she hadn’t brought anything.

“Then boy, what should I take?”

When Hongwol asked that, Leffrey immediately handed her two swords.

One was a red rapier. The other was a blue main gauche called a parrying dagger.

“Ah, a rapier and a main gauche? That's a classic combo.”

(TL Note: Main gauche, which is a French term, in English, is called a parrying dagger.)

Hongwol expertly equipped the two swords, then, with movements that resembled a dance, elegantly displayed the swords’ beauty.

“Woah, ahem.”

It was such a graceful display that even Soya opened her mouth in awe

“These are good swords.”

“They are, aren’t they? They’re both magic swords. One is a rapier called the Solar Extreme Point, and the other is a main gauche called the Unreachable Point.”

Solar Extreme Point. As the name suggests, it's said that an unbelievable heat like the extreme point of the sun is condensed at the tip of the rapier.

It boasted the strongest single-target attack power among all magic swords.

However, only the very tip possessed that extreme attack power, the rest of the blade had no attack power at all, making it a sword whose power was completely dependent on the user’s skill.

‘Hongwol is the best magic swordswoman I know. She's especially skilled at striking weak points.’

It would be the best item for Hongwol, who has outstanding talent as a magic swordsman above all others.

‘And if there was a weakness, it would be against magic swordsmen who specialize in defense.’

And a magic sword to subdue such magic swordsmen.

Unreachable Point.

This blue main gauche, befitting its name ‘parrying dagger,’ specialized in parrying. If this dagger was used to parry an enemy’s magic sword…

‘That magic sword would be instantly frozen by absolute zero temperature.’

Of course, professor-level superhumans, or those of similar strength, could easily break the ice surrounding the magic sword without even spending a single second.

But even that would be more than enough for Hongwol.

If she could just stab the enemy’s weak point once with that attack power, an attack power that was unrivaled among magic swords.

“Meow, meowww!”

Excited, Hongwol meowed while staring at the two magic swords.

Hongwol and Leffrey didn't say anything to each other. Even though a few seconds had passed.

“…Ahem.”

However, Hongwol had already grasped everything about these two magic swords and finished planning what combat style to adopt.

“With these, I might be able to inherit the chieftain position.”

Hongwol muttered those rather scary words.

“Boy, will I not wear any armor?”

“Armor?”

Leffrey shook his head.

Then he whispered to Hongwol.

“You have the Moon’s blessing, don’t you?”

“H-How do you know that.”

Her ears perking up, and her tail suddenly began to sway.

Hongwol stepped back with a reddened face.

“Then.”

Leffrey spread his fingers wide towards the outside. At the tips of those fingers, the world outside the treasure vault unfolded.

A world where the sun was setting,

Where students were returning home.

A world where delicious evening scents wafted from everywhere and children were drawn home by those aromas.

“Let’s go save the world.”

* * *

There was a dungeon called ‘Unidentified 1’.

It was a dungeon that recently appeared off the coast of Wonsan, and because it hadn't been given an official name yet, it was called ‘Unidentified 1’.

The Guild Alliance had given it a C-rank difficulty rating. A dungeon that even mid-to-small-sized guilds could conquer. But despite its low difficulty rating, the rewards were incredibly generous.

“Hey, look at all these magic stones, it’s like a school of fish.”

“I know. We've hit the jackpot.”

Magic stones, the kind that’s rarely found even in S-rank dungeons, were pouring out.

“What is this? What era is this item from?”

“At least a few thousand years old. Seems like a work from when angels and dragons were smoking cigarettes together.”

Ancient artifacts from long ago were scattered everywhere.

And yet the monsters that appeared were all weaklings, like mermen, slimes, sea ghouls, and drowned spirits.

“How does this make sense? Difficult dungeon, good rewards. That was supposed to be an unbreakable rule.”

“There’s no such thing as a rule that’s never been broken. That’s how it is in this business.”

“But still. If the rewards are this good, it should at least be an S-rank dungeon…”

On top of that, it was incredibly huge.

Thousands of rooms still unexplored.

And dozens more floors below.

“It’s a gold mine, a gold mine!”

“We have to go in quickly, or those guys will clean it out.”

“Ah, it's not like some people aren't in danger of failing. Those conscienceless bastards.”

“Ugh, it's those goody-two-shoes from the Connoisseurs’ Club. Let's avoid them.”

Humans are beings who obey their desires.

They bow to wealth and fame,

They kneel before power and lust.

“I heard they found sirens on the 5th floor?”

“Sirens? If we capture them alive, we could sell them for a fortune at auction.”

“Let's go right now. We should at least pick up some crumbs.”

And Unidentified 1 contained all those desires.

Everything people wanted was there.

“If we go deeper, I could turn my life around…”

“Invest all our resources here! If we miss this chance, it's over!”

“Call the executives. We can’t fall behind.”

A honey trap too sweet to resist.

Lured by that sweetness, one boy and three girls arrived at this place.

“Wow, this is insane.”

Wonsan was bustling with superhumans. There were so many that you might think there were more superhumans than ordinary people. All accommodations were full, and guild tents were set up everywhere.

“Many have come from overseas as well.”

Yumari murmured, recognizing the patterns on the tents set up along the beach.

“…I didn't expect it to be this bad.”

Beside her, Leffrey spoke with a slightly bewildered voice.

“Hey guys, what if I…”

What if Leffrey were to say, ‘This dungeon is a trap, so if you value your lives, then leave this place now,’

How many people would actually listen?

“Not a single one.”

“We don't have any evidence anyway. By the way, this outfit is too embarrassing.”

That’s right.

People would ignore Leffrey's words. Or suspect that it was the work of a rival faction trying to sabotage them.

“…Then there’s no other way.”

Leffrey looked into the distance.

At the oriental-style stone building erected far out at sea.

Though covered in moss and seaweed, it was still a magnificent structure.

‘That’s a trap. A trap to eliminate me and my heroes.’

But there were so many people inside.

And among them were his friends.

‘…Fighting for the sake of others.’

Having such feelings was,

Still a bit awkward for Leffrey.

“Let’s go.”

And so, the faithless angel and the still-inexperienced heroes leaped towards the trap that had been laid for them.