Chapter – 15

Aman once again found himself in the meeting room of the Town Hall, though the cast was a little different this time.

At the head of the table sat Lord Cyrus Crestel, Stella’s father and, more importantly, the royal Appraiser.

Arrayed around him were the rest of the scouting team: Stella’s party, Sarai, and Aman.

Once everyone had settled into their seats, Lord Cyrus introduced himself.

“Good afternoon. I am Cyrus Crestel. I have been appointed as the Appraiser for the new dungeon by Her Majesty. After discussing the matter with your elders, we have decided that you are the best people for scouting the dungeon. I hope we can all get along well.”

Everyone greeted Lord Cyrus in return before he tapped his chin thoughtfully.

“Now, I’m already familiar with most of you, but we still need to follow proper procedure. So, why don’t we take turns introducing ourselves and our skills?”

At everyone’s nod, Lord Cyrus continued.

“I’ll go first. I am a Tier II Dungeon Diplomat, which grants me the two important skills [Dungeon Empathy] and [Dungeon Bond], both of which I use to communicate with dungeons. I also have a few skills from my Tier I class, Diplomat, like [Silver Tongue], [Contract], and [Memory Palace], all of which help me in performing my duties.”

Looking around the table, he asked,

“Who would like to go next?”

As the team’s leader, Stella volunteered herself.

“I am Stella Crestel, a Tier I Blade Dancer. I have three skills. [Bladework] allows me to infuse mana into my attacks, [Dancer’s Grace] improves my agility and balance, and [Intuition] gives me something akin to a sixth sense for danger.”

Wow. Stella already had three skills.

That meant she was already very close to evolving her class.

Next was Arvel.

“My Tier I class is Arcane Rogue. My skills are fairly self-explanatory: [True Sight], [Stealth], [Sense Mana], and [Mana Manipulation].”

What?

That was four skills.

Which meant Arvel already met the requirements to advance to a Tier II class.

What was he even waiting for?

Probably Stella.

The answer came to Aman almost immediately.

If Arvel advanced to Tier II, he could no longer remain a member of Stella’s team.

Still…

What exactly was Lord Crestel feeding these people?

“Hi, I’m Mina. I’m not a prodigy like the rest of them, but I’m a Tier I Healer. I have [Sense Mana], [Life Manipulation], and [Sense Life]. I’ll make sure everyone stays in perfect health inside the dungeon.”

Yeah, right. Not a prodigy.

Tier III healer classes were regarded as strategic assets by the kingdom, on the same level as Space Mages, Diviners, and Ritualists.

The mere fact that Mina had managed to unlock that class was a Feat in Aman’s eyes.

He and Sarai went last, introducing themselves as a Lightning Mage and a Nature Mage respectively, each possessing [Sense Mana] and their elemental manipulation skills.

Aman had to remind himself that he was perfectly normal for his age. It was the others who were anomalies.

There was no reason to feel embarrassed over his comparatively modest collection of skills.

“Good. It seems we have a well-balanced team,” Lord Cyrus said, snapping Aman out of his thoughts.

“Now, I assume all of you know far more about the dungeon than I do, given your previous experience,” he added, shooting a sidelong glance at his daughter. “Why don’t you tell me everything? Master Aenul already gave me a brief summary, but I’d much rather hear your firsthand account.”

So they recounted their adventure inside the dungeon once again.

Aman did most of the talking, having interacted with the dungeon more than anyone else.

By now, he had told the story so many times that he’d become rather good at it, sticking to the important details instead of recounting every step of the journey.

When he finished, Lord Cyrus gave a satisfied nod.

“That’s not bad. Since the dungeon didn’t send its creatures after you once you left its floor, there’s still hope for a peaceful dialogue. We should begin by talking to this Professor Oak. Since he lives so close to the dungeon, he likely knows more about how it reacted after your group departed. That should give me a much better idea of how to approach it.”

Aman nodded.

He felt the same way.

Professor Oak had already mentioned that he was on good terms with the dungeon.

Perhaps he could even help them figure out the best way to approach it.

“But what if the dungeon still turns hostile despite our best efforts?” Arvel asked.

“Then we’ll have no choice but to locate its core and destroy it.”

Before Aman could protest, Lord Cyrus raised a hand.

“But only after we’ve exhausted every other option. We shouldn’t approach any task with a negative mindset. That would mean we’ve already admitted defeat. For now, let’s do our best to persuade the dungeon to coexist peacefully with us.”

Arvel nodded, as did the rest of the group.

“It’s already evening, so we’ll depart for the dungeon tomorrow morning. Go home, pack your bags, and be ready at the town gates.”

Lord Cyrus looked toward Arvel and Sarai.

“If all goes well, we won’t be returning to town for several days, so make sure to inform your families.”

With that, Lord Cyrus rose from his seat before turning toward his daughter.

“Mayor Simon invited me for a drink this evening, so I’ll probably be staying at his house if it gets too late. Don’t wait up for me. Get some rest. Even if the dungeon proves friendly, none of us will be getting much sleep over the next few days.”

---

Aman felt a little nervous standing in front of the glass doors of the Pokécenter after so long.

Even though Lord Cyrus had tried to maintain a positive attitude throughout their journey, it wasn’t so easy to forget what had happened during their last visit to the dungeon.

Although they had departed from Brendon early that morning, they still weren’t going to reach the dungeon before nightfall. As a result, they had taken their time, allowing Lord Cyrus to inspect the route along the way.

If they managed to establish a successful relationship with the dungeon, an outpost would eventually have to be built nearby.

Lord Cyrus already seemed to be preparing for that possibility.

Not wanting to impose on Professor Oak for their sleeping arrangements again, they had spent the night a short distance from the dungeon in another enchanted tent, courtesy of Stella’s father, before making their way to the Pokécenter the following morning.

“So this is the building. It certainly looks unique,” Lord Cyrus commented as he inspected both the structure and its surroundings.

“Mage Aman, since you’re the most familiar with the professor, you should take the lead.”

Aman nodded before walking through the Pokécenter’s automatic doors.

Upon entering, he couldn’t spot Professor Oak anywhere.

Only his companion, Trapinch.

The orange Pokémon opened his eyes before getting to his feet and approaching the group.

“Hello, Trapinch. We’re looking for Professor Oak. Is he here?”

Trapinch looked at them for a moment, his gaze lingering on Sarai a little longer than everyone else, before giving a small nod.

“Oh! Is that a Pokémon? It looks even cuter up close,” Sarai giggled from behind Aman.

At the same moment, footsteps echoed from upstairs.

As Trapinch returned to his usual corner of the room, Professor Oak descended the moving staircase.

“Oh, Apprentice Aman. Long time no see! How have you been?”

Professor Oak approached him with a warm smile, giving him a friendly pat on the back.

“I’ve been well, Professor, though the news about the dungeon has caused quite a stir in town.”

After returning the greeting, Aman moved on to official business.

“Do you remember the royal Appraiser I told you about? He arrived in town a few days ago and accompanied us here to inspect the dungeon. He also wished to meet you.”

“Professor Oak, this is Lord Cyrus Crestel—”

Aman turned to introduce the two of them.

Only to witness the strangest sight.

The nobleman was kneeling on one knee, his head bowed low, nearly touching the floor.

“Greetings, Lord Emissary. This humble one is called Cyrus Crestel. I have been chosen by the ruler of these lands to introduce ourselves and convey our intentions to your dungeon. We mean neither you nor your dungeon any harm. We simply wish to coexist peacefully.”

While Aman and the others stared in bewilderment at the sudden and strange display, Cyrus could feel his heartbeat pounding in his ears like a drum.

While Aman had been greeting Professor Oak, one of Cyrus’s skills, [Dungeon Bond], suddenly reacted.

The skill essentially allowed him to form a temporary connection with a dungeon’s consciousness, similar to the one it shared with its own creations, allowing the two to communicate directly.

If he could activate it now, that could only mean one thing.

The dungeon’s consciousness was nearby, watching them.

That wasn’t particularly surprising.

Considering how close Professor Oak had built his home to the dungeon and the presence of the orange Pokémon inside the building, it was only natural for the dungeon to be aware of their arrival.

The real question was whether the dungeon was observing them through one of its creations or whether they were already standing within its Authority.

Either was possible.

Most dungeons kept a close watch over their entrances, though only rarely did their Authority extend far beyond the boundaries of their floors.

Cyrus didn’t want to initiate contact without first understanding the dungeon’s disposition toward them.

Though the connection created by [Dungeon Bond] was only temporary, offending the dungeon during first contact wouldn’t be good for him.

Instead, he activated his second skill.

[Dungeon Empathy.]

Emotions and impressions immediately flooded his mind.

Happiness. Excitement. Anticipation.

They were unusually vivid.

Which meant the dungeon’s consciousness was extremely close. It was actively observing them.

Strange. Why would it be happy to see them?

Perhaps Professor Oak had spoken well of them and helped the dungeon form a favorable opinion.

No matter. He could simply ask it himself.

Now that he knew the dungeon was expecting their arrival, Cyrus finally activated [Dungeon Bond], expecting the connection to reach for one of the dungeon’s creatures or perhaps the surrounding mana itself.

He did not expect the skill to react toward Professor Oak.

Cyrus’s breath caught in his throat.

As he stared at the elderly man casually patting Aman on the back like a friendly uncle, the truth slowly dawned on him.

Unless he was suffering from some sort of hallucination, the being standing before them was one of the dungeon’s creations.

An advanced, fully sapient creation.

The Emissary.

That was the only explanation.

Why else would the dungeon station one of its most advanced creations at its entrance instead of guarding its core?

Dungeons didn’t just casually create human-like monsters. Humanoid ones, yes, but not ones capable of holding entire conversations.

While questions and assumptions flooded Cyrus’s mind, his body moved on instinct alone, guided by decades of training and experience.

Without conscious thought, he recited the formal greeting he had prepared for the dungeon during the journey.

As the silence stretched on, however, his initial shock gradually subsided, allowing reason to return.

Professor Oak wasn’t an unknown variable.

He was kind, wise, and compassionate.

His daughter and her team had spoken with the man at length and had even spent the night under his roof.

Yet none of them even knew his true status as an Emissary.

What was going on?

“Lord Emissary?” Cyrus asked, slowly raising his head, his confusion only deepening.

“Emissary? Who, Professor Oak?” he heard his daughter’s voice echo from behind him.

Professor Oak’s smile slowly stiffened.

“You must be mistaken. I’m Professor Samuel Oak, a Pokémon researcher. I have no idea what an Emissary even is.”

How was that even possible?

The System should have informed the dungeon the moment it successfully created its Emissary.

Was Professor Oak lying?

Or had the dungeon simply never bothered asking what an Emissary actually was?

“An Emissary is the representation of a dungeon’s will. The creation it uses to communicate with the other mortal races. Though I may appear young, I have traveled far and wide and spoken with many of your kind. The Prospector of the Silver Mines, the Tuatha of the Fae Garden, the Seraphim of the Divine Tower, even the great Sarog of the Ashwin Mountains, the oldest dungeon on the continent. I can feel the dungeon’s consciousness within you, Professor Oak. I know what you are. So… why are you denying it?” Cyrus explained as he slowly rose to his feet.

“Professor…? What’s going on?” Aman asked, taking a step back, while the rest of the group watched with stunned expressions.

Professor Oak didn’t answer.

His head tilted slightly, his eyes glazing over as though his thoughts were somewhere far away.

Probably speaking with the dungeon, Cyrus surmised.

When the old man’s attention finally returned to the room, he looked at the shocked, suspicious faces surrounding him and let out a weary sigh.

Gesturing toward a nearby table, he said,

“Why don’t you all take a seat? It seems we have a lot to talk about.”

Everyone turned to Cyrus for direction, waiting to see what he would do.

Cyrus considered the offer.

The dungeon was certainly unique. There was no question about that. But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

From everything he had heard about Professor Oak, the man didn’t seem to harbor any ill intentions toward them. On the contrary, he had been nothing but helpful to Aman and Stella’s team.

Instead of jumping to conclusions, Cyrus decided it was better to give Professor Oak the benefit of the doubt and hear what he had to say first.

Not that they had many other options. They were already inside the dungeon’s domain. They needed to be on their best behavior.

“Very well.”

He walked over to one of the offered chairs.

Once everyone had settled into their seats, Professor Oak looked around at them before dipping his head apologetically.

“Before I answer your questions, there’s something I’d like to clarify first. While it may seem as though I’ve been deceiving you all this time, believe me, that was never my intention. I have never actually lied to any of you. I simply omitted a few facts. At first, it was because I wasn’t sure how you would react to my existence. Later, after we became acquainted, I didn’t think knowing what I was would matter all that much. I was simply happy to meet all of you and spend time talking with you.”

Having said his piece, Professor Oak fell silent, waiting to see how they would react.

Aman seemed to be struggling the most to process the revelation, his face scrunched up in thought, so Stella was the first to speak.

“So you really are an Emissary of the dungeon?”

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Professor Oak let out a chuckle, though the familiar sound suddenly felt a little strange.

“It would appear so. Though, like I said, I didn’t even know what an Emissary was before Lord Cyrus brought it up. You see, the dungeon doesn’t like putting labels on its creations. To it, we’re all the same. However, seeing as I’m the best fit for the position, I suppose I might as well be its Emissary.”

That answer wasn’t particularly satisfying for either Stella or her father, but before either of them could press further, Aman spoke up.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me what you really were? I thought you were just a powerful mage living alone in the forest. Why didn’t you ever correct me? Why keep pretending in front of us?” Aman asked, the accusation clear in his voice.

Professor Oak’s expression turned a little sad.

“I told you exactly who I was when we first met, didn’t I?”

Looking Aman straight in the eye, he continued.

“Apprentice Aman, I think you’ve misunderstood something. I may be a creation of the dungeon, but I am still my own person. The dungeon may have given us life, but it also gave us free will. The freedom to pursue our own goals and follow our own paths. You have your own creators as well, do you not? Your gods. Your mortal parents. Do you introduce yourself by mentioning them every time you meet someone?”

“That’s different,” Aman immediately interjected.

“Why? Just because my creator is a dungeon? In your eyes, am I nothing more than a beast? Tell me… how exactly are we different?”

That shut Aman up, sending him into another bout of contemplation.

Before anyone else could ask another question, Cyrus raised a hand.

He had far more important matters to discuss.

“Tell me something, Professor Oak. How old is the dungeon?”

Professor Oak shrugged.

“We don’t really know. Until just a few months ago, we’d been living underground. Without the sun or any reliable way to track the passage of time, it’s hard to say how long the dungeon has existed.”

“What made it come to the surface then? Why create the Viridian Forest and reveal its presence to the world?”

“Resources.”

“Resources?” Cyrus repeated. “What do you mean?”

“Mana. Aether. New creatures. More land. Anything to fuel its creations.”

Professor Oak leaned back in his chair.

“You see, the dungeon doesn’t create things because it has to. It creates because it wants to. Because it wants to see whether it can. When it first came into existence, it had an abundance of resources—especially those crystals made of mana—to create whatever its heart desired. It was perfectly content remaining underground. But eventually, those resources began to run out. It had no choice but to search for more.”

He pointed toward the forest outside.

“The Viridian Forest is simply a byproduct of that decision. A place to house its creations and display them to the world. Most of them weren’t suited to living inside caves, and a forest seemed far more appropriate.”

That actually made some sense.

Most dungeons possessed an instinctive urge to protect themselves. They surrounded themselves with their creations and built elaborate environments for those creatures to inhabit. In order to create more magical beast and expand their Authority, however, they required mana and the souls of other living beings.

That was why dungeons inevitably came into contact with civilization.

This dungeon, however, seemed a little different.

It didn’t create creatures primarily for self-defense. It created them because it genuinely enjoyed doing so.

That certainly explained the existence of Pokémon.

Cyrus idly wondered just how large the mana crystal vein beside the dungeon’s core had been. It must have been enormous to sustain the dungeon for decades.

There was no way the dungeon was any younger than that.

Not only had it developed a fully mature ego, it had also filled itself with advanced creatures and even created a sapient one.

Even if the dungeon was a genius, achieving all of that should have taken it at least a decade.

Speaking of which…

“Where do you fit into all of this, Professor Oak? How did the dungeon manage to create you? Did someone happen to stumble upon the dungeon before Mage Aman and die inside?”

Professor Oak shook his head, a small smile returning to his face.

“Would you believe me if I said it was an accident? The only person to have died inside the dungeon was the boy from Apprentice Aman’s group. The dungeon was simply experimenting and, in a moment of inspiration, created something resembling a sapient soul a long time ago.”

Cyrus gripped the armrest of his chair.

“B-But… that’s impossible.”

Professor Oak merely shrugged.

“If you say so. I don’t exactly know how the other dungeons operate. I’ve never met them.”

Seeing Cyrus still trying to come to terms with everything he had learned, Professor Oak turned to the rest of the group.

“By the way, the dungeon would like to apologize for what happened to your teammate last time. That was the first time it had ever experienced an emotional outburst like that. Only afterward did it realize it had gone a little overboard. It promises not to let something like that happen again.”

Even though he did his best to sound reassuring, no one responded. They were all still struggling to come to terms with the impossibility that was this new dungeon.

After a long moment, Cyrus finally managed to compose himself.

“Setting aside the fact that the dungeon somehow managed to create someone like you, why are you here instead of guarding the dungeon’s core? Why did it build this place and station you here?”

“Oh, the dungeon has others to protect it.” Professor Oak waved a dismissive hand. “I’m not much for fighting. I like Pokémon and learning more about the magic of this world in general. I wasn’t pretending to be a mage. That’s exactly who I am. I simply don’t have a System-granted class like some of you.”

Professor Oak gestured around the room.

“As for this building, who would want to spend all their time inside a dark, dusty cave? This place is much more comfortable. I have my own room and even a laboratory.”

“So what is your role within the dungeon? What is your purpose?”

“My purpose in life isn’t dictated by the dungeon. My desire to assist it is entirely my own. The dungeon gave me life and provided me with the resources to pursue my research. In return, I help it create and improve its Pokémon while helping others understand and appreciate its creations.”

“And the dungeon doesn’t mind if you choose to do something else? If you decide not to follow its will?” Cyrus asked.