Reverse Dungeon

“You can be even more grateful. A life debt isn’t something you repay easily, is it?”

“......”

Keith found it strange.

Every time Ian opened his mouth, heat rose in him. Yet the moment Ian smiled, that heat somehow cooled.

Ian was smiling as brightly as a child who had been handed a treasured toy. Faced with that smile, Keith couldn’t bring himself to be angry.

Still, the sight was marred by the bandages wrapped around Ian’s body.

“Are you all right?”

“Which part? The part where you tried to strangle me is fine. The place where the Demon Duke bit me still hurts.”

“I’m sorry...”

Keith apologized, yet strangely, he didn’t feel sorry at all.

Why did he feel no remorse for harming God’s messenger?

What a «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» strange person this man was.

“If you’re that sorry, recover quickly. There’s a lot I need you to do for me.”

“Yes. I understand.”

Keith answered with solemn sincerity. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

I must help this man realize his mission.

The will of Heaven was vast and profound, and people often failed to recognize it. At times, they even resented it.

Until recently, Keith had been one of those people.

But God had sent Ian to temper his faith.

And yet this messenger of God claimed not to know God.

Why had God brought him together with such a man?

There could be only one reason.

Was it not so Keith could enlighten this man to his mission?

Keith was grateful for the role bestowed upon him.

That fanatic is thinking something strange again.

Ian realized it, then decided not to care.

Trying to understand a madman’s thoughts was liable to make him insane too.

Instead, he helped Keith up, then looked puzzled for a moment and pushed him right back down onto the bed.

Keith blinked as he landed with a thud.

“......?”

“Sleep. You need to recover your strength.”

Ian pulled the blanket up to Keith’s neck.

Keith wanted to tell him that he was a Holy Knight capable of healing himself, and that his sharpened senses made it difficult to sleep when someone else was nearby.

But Ian was grinning at him again, looking satisfied just from watching him.

Why was he looking at him like that?

Keith closed his eyes, deciding there must be some purpose behind everything God’s apostle did.

Was there, really?

Doubt crept into his heart, but before he could dwell on it, sleep claimed him.

Ian, who had used <Purification> on Keith, tilted his head slightly.

Why won’t this go away?

[Character]

‘Agent of God’ Keith (★★★★★)

Reputation

Agent of God, Holy Knight, Fanatic, Apostate (+NEW)

Skills

Healing: LV.10

Enhancement: LV.10

Swordsmanship: LV.10

⁝

(Expand)

There was just one problem beneath the status window, which was otherwise a delight to look at.

[Status Ailment: ???(???)]

At level 7, <Purification> could heal most status ailments.

And yet Keith’s status ailment hadn’t budged.

Worse, Ian couldn’t even see what it was. Either it was still in its incubation period, or Ian’s Insight level was too low to identify it...

And given that Ian’s Insight level was definitely low, he couldn’t be sure which one it was.

It’s probably nothing.

Ian decided it wasn’t a big deal.

He looked over Keith’s abilities.

Even with his strength at rock bottom, Keith had destroyed the Demon Duke’s heart in a single blow.

Considering that a vampire’s weakness was a stake through the heart, and that Keith’s profession was exceptionally effective against demons of every kind, it was an impressive feat.

It meant there was nothing wrong with his stats.

And if that was the case, Ian didn’t particularly care.

He had more important things to do than worry about unnecessary problems.

After making sure Keith was asleep, Ian carefully rose from beside him.

Even when Ian waved a hand in front of Keith’s face, his breathing remained steady.

He’s asleep?

Ian clenched his fist and shook it silently in the air.

This is insane.

He had obtained Keith!

He wanted to share this joy with the entire world, but sadly, this world had no internet.

Keith was a man who kept his oaths.

For a while, Keith truly belonged to Ian!

Though it seemed Keith had made that oath so easily because he believed Ian was some kind of “Agent of God”...

Once Keith believed something, he didn’t change his mind easily.

Keeping Keith at his side meant Ian would have to deal with the penalty of his “Savior” reputation constantly increasing.

But Keith was a hero worth shouldering that significant penalty for.

And Ian was confident he could lower his “Savior” reputation appropriately.

He would have to manage it carefully, though, so he didn’t drive Keith away by letting it hit rock bottom.

If I keep opposing demons, he’ll believe I’m on his side, right?

Everything was fine!

As Ian celebrated alone, a few days passed, and another piece of good news came his way.

Keith, having fully recovered his HP, made a proposal first.

He said he had been thinking about how he could help Ian.

“Lord Ian, would you like to learn swordsmanship from me?”

New skill!

Combat skills were always useful.

Especially when taught by a max-level swordsman.

“Of course.”

“Have you ever learned swordsmanship before?”

“No.”

“Ah... I see. I was going to explain that my swordsmanship is combat-oriented, unlike what you may have learned elsewhere, but that seems unnecessary.”

“Yeah. Sounds good. Let’s do it.”

Ian was excited.

Keith stared at Ian’s smiling face for a moment, then turned away and ordered a passing soldier, “Bring the wooden swords.”

“Yes, sir.”

The soldier hurried off and returned with two wooden swords.

Other soldiers followed after him, apparently curious after hearing that Ian was going to learn swordsmanship from Keith.

Keith was a swordsman of divine skill.

Who wouldn’t be curious to see him teach?

Ian let them be.

If they learned something by watching, that would only benefit him.

“I was raised in an orphanage run by the Vatican, and I was selected as a Holy Knight by chance rather than through systematic training. Please keep that in mind.”

“Yeah. What exactly should I keep in mind?”

“I don’t know proper training methods. But I can teach you the way I taught my squire.”

At the mention of his squire, Keith’s expression stiffened slightly.

However, since he was usually solemn and expressionless to begin with, it was a change only someone close to him, like Ian, would notice.

Ah, that squire.

The final boss of Keith’s route, if you brought down the Vatican.

He was quite strong, with complex patterns, and he wielded a sword blessed by Keith, which made him a difficult opponent.

On top of that, he wasn’t a demon but a Holy Knight, so he could heal himself, further raising the difficulty.

In fact, in Keith’s route, humans were more common enemies than demons.

That was because Keith, with his “Agent of God” title, had an exceptional talent for drawing hostility.

“Teach me.”

“Yes. Shall we try, then? I’ll lightly gauge your skill...”

Keith raised his sword.

He lifted it slowly, as if showing Ian the motion, allowing Ian to assume a clumsy defensive stance.

The next instant, Keith charged like lightning and struck Ian’s sword down.

Ian’s arms broke.

“......?!”

“......!”

Has he lost his mind?

Ian’s HP dropped by half, and tears sprang to his eyes from the pain in his arms.

Keith looked at Ian in shock.

Unable to contain his anger, Ian kicked Keith in the shin.

THUD!

Keith didn’t dodge.

He gritted his teeth.

He took that?

For a moment, Ian was surprised.

Then he curled in on himself and trembled from the pain jolting through his broken arms.

Keith’s eyes widened, not because he had been kicked, but because Ian had moved a broken arm.

“Lord Ian.”

“Shut up. Don’t say anything... you...”

“Please speak.”

Even after being told not to speak, Keith kept talking.

Ian felt like he was going to cry.

Gritting his teeth, he said, “Could you use... less strength?”

Keith was a precious 5-star hero.

Ian couldn’t bring himself to curse at him.

Keith spoke as if he were in pain.

“That was not my intention.”

“Who asked?”

So it was intentional?

Ian’s lower lip trembled with every answer.

He desperately wished Keith would shut up.

“But you are far too weak.”

This bastard...

And yet Keith’s expression was completely serious.

The fact that he was genuinely worried only made the whole thing even more ridiculous to Ian.

“I’ll heal you.”

Keith took hold of Ian’s broken arm and began kneading it, as if searching for something.

Ian felt like he wanted to die.

“Ow... Ah... Ow!”