Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

"Lapi-kun, do you remember our 'Racial History' class from before?"

Just as I was completely bewildered and couldn't understand what she meant, Nina raised her index finger with an interested expression and patiently explained it to me.

"We've learned about dominant inheritance, right? If one of the parents is a human-human hybrid, then the child carries the genes of both races. Let's call the human factor 1 and the dwarf factor 2."

Ah... I do remember that.

That was one of the "school district" courses that Nina and I took together.

"In this case, if 'half-dwarfs' have children, the resulting gene combinations would be: one part 11, two parts 12, and one part 22."

"...So, the probability of a human being born at level 11 is one in four, a half-dwarf at level 12 is one in half, and a dwarf at level 22 is also one in four?"

"That's right! You remember it pretty well."

Thanks to her simple and easy-to-understand explanation, I gradually recalled what I had learned in the "Ethnic History" class.

After I answered correctly, Nina smiled with satisfaction, as if praising her clever younger brother.

"Teacher Leon was born to those half-dwarf parents I just mentioned. And now, here comes the important part."

He sneezed.

Nina glanced at Professor Leon, who was keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings.

"Children born to semi-humans sometimes inherit human characteristics that semi-humans do not possess. For example, height above average, limb length, etc."

"!"

"Although it is extremely rare. That is why, although Professor Leon is a true dwarf in terms of race, thanks to mysterious genetics, he has a human-like height and long limbs."

Having learned about racial characteristics that I didn't fully understand, especially the genetic mechanisms among semi-humans, I was amazed and finally came to understand.

Teacher Leon's race is a genuine "earth people".

From the perspective of [ability stats], his [strength] and [durability] growth rates are higher; only his appearance clearly shows that he inherited human characteristics. That's roughly it.

...It's definitely not that I'm jealous of Professor Leon or anything, but...

"A dwarf with long arms and legs but hidden superhuman strength"—just hearing that description feels a bit unfair...

"...By the way, humans and semi-humans can also have children! For example, if you marry a half-elf, the chance of having a human child is 50%! The chance of having a half-elf child is also 50%!"

"Huh? Ah, yes, that's true."

For some reason, Nina blushed and began to add details about 'racial history'. I nodded in response and then looked at Professor Leon.

After dealing with the monster's corpse, I was still gazing at the back of the 'knight' in the north, a figure that was quite different from the image of a dwarf I knew.

Of course I wouldn't look at Professor Leon differently just because he's a dwarf... but I can't help but wonder, what kind of life must one go through to grow into such a humble, upright, and admirable adult?

"Sorry to interrupt your work, but pick up your weapons. Another wave of monsters is coming."

"!"

Hearing Mr. Leon's call, we stood up from our knees.

The alien figure in the distance, which could only be detected by my Lv.7 vision, immediately came into my field of vision.

After exchanging glances with Nina, we threw ourselves back into the battle against the monster.

You can still see the labyrinth city once more.

After carrying Nina, he started moving four times.

And this is the seventeenth time since the sky lost its azure color and was covered by gray clouds.

We encounter monsters on the ground so frequently.

"..."

"Lapi-kun? What's wrong?"

I silently gazed at the numerous corpses scattered around me.

Nina had traveled the world with the "School District" and must have more experience fighting monsters on the ground than I did, but right now she was tilting her head and looking at me with a puzzled expression.

She didn't seem to notice anything amiss.

Am I the only one who feels this "uncomfortable" feeling?

(...the number of encounters with monsters is increasing.)

At the very beginning of the journey, there were only a few scattered bits and pieces.

Now, half a day has passed, and both the number of encounters and the number of monsters have more than doubled.

(This is above ground. Although it's nothing compared to the dungeons...)

I had long forgotten about the threat posed by the monsters on the ground.

Since arriving in Orario, I've endured continuous battles in dungeons, hordes of monsters, and various other unusual events, leaving my senses completely numb. I can't even remember how often I encountered monsters in my hometown village.

Is this the standard on the ground?

So that's why Nina didn't suspect anything?

Or was it just a simple coincidence?

But I still...feel that 'something's not right'.

The number of enemies kept increasing, it was like going deeper into the dungeon.

The further they went, the more obvious this "abnormality" became.

In other words, the further north you go, the more frequently monsters appear.

"...What exactly happened 'in the north'?"

I whispered to myself, at a volume so low that even Nina couldn't hear me.

Professor Leon remained silent, quietly observing me at that moment.

"Urban Arena Festival Round 1! Mage Duel! The winner is... the school district's teacher, Level 5 Malik Alfur from [Baldlban]!!"

Under a clear, cloudless sky, cheers and wails erupted simultaneously within Orario's circular arena.

"here you go!"

"Did you see that, Orario!"

On the central battle stage, a handsome elven man clad in a mage's robe waved to the boisterous student audience. Centered around the female students who admired him, the students from the 'district' erupted in another round of enthusiastic cheers.

"Hey, why did you mess up in the first round..."

"Although the Loki Familia and the Freya Familia didn't come..."

"Although she's a super beautiful girl mage from the Hator Familia..."

"Although she ranks second among the 'strongest female mages' and third among the 'cutest fairies'..."

"Our Naruti-chan..."

"I was so happy to reach Lv.5 during the 'Factional Wars' that I cried tears of joy..."

"Well~ although she's been working hard since the era of male and female idols, she's ultimately just a relic of the past, a pseudo-JK (high school girl) pyramid-shaped woman with wheat-colored skin desperately trying to hide her advanced age..."

"Damn it! Didn't we agree that Naruti would be forever sixteen? Give me a break!!"

"Believe it or not, I'll subject you to the pyramid scheme!!"

"Ah—! A riot and infighting, no, a religious war, has broken out, centered around the gods of Orario!!"

Meanwhile, a low commotion arose from the Orario audience seats.

On the battle stage, the Dark Elf Mage rolled his eyes, fell backward, and made a "ooh~~" sound, drawing confused and disappointed murmurs from the audience. However, the roar of the solar prominence had already erupted during the match, and the arena quickly descended into chaos.

"That's why the Freya Familia should have been released a long time ago!"

"Aren't those guys still in the city?! Sending out the 'White Demon Wand' will be a piece of cake for them!"

"That's that monstrous vixen with the pretty face of a woman!"

"You pretentious jerk!"

"Get to work!!"

"Curse us to death!!" "Please trample us mercilessly with your jade feet!!"

"[Eternal Conflict, Undying Thunder Soldiers]"

"Gayaa ...

Growing increasingly enraged by their defeat, the audience began hurling insults at the resilient warriors (Enheria) who were unable to fight due to rule restrictions. However, the next second, a series of mysterious lightning bolts, precisely guided, pierced through the source of these insults.

The overwhelmingly sensitive, hellish listening range and the divinely precise lightning strikes left the adventurers and gods present pale-faced, covering their mouths with their hands and trembling. From that moment on, no one dared to express any dissatisfaction with the resilient warriors.

In a corner of the audience, Ming stared at the scene with a stiff expression, then quickly cleared his throat.

"However, even without fighting day and night in the dungeon, I was able to reach Lv.5... What kind of training must I undergo to reach such a level?"

"Rigorous training was certainly necessary, but I always felt that he must have overcome something that could replace the dungeon. Otherwise, there's simply no way to explain it..."

"The 'thing' that replaces the dungeon... do you mean the trials, Lady Lily?"

"Where can you find a scene of carnage like this...?"

The question of fate made Lily frown, and Haruhime and Welf also shared their thoughts.

Immediately after

"Is that even a question?"

Hedin, who had overheard the entire conversation, whispered this as he looked down from the top of the amphitheater.

Hedin observed the strength of his compatriot (Malik), while the other party also noticed his gaze.

He then looked up and gazed in the direction where a certain boy had quietly set off.

"The one that has been suppressing the 'Northern' rift in place of Orario until now is none other than the 'School District'."

Behind Hedin, Alfred and his companions watched the game with potato balls in their hands, while the four Gulliver brothers silently gazed toward the 'north'.

Not long after, despite the cacophony of excitement and frustration still lingering, Ibrahim's announcement rang out throughout the venue.

"The first round of the Urban Arena Festival has successfully concluded! Thank you all for your hard work! The next representative match will be held in two days, and the event is the [Large-Scale Team Battle]! Since preparations still require some time, please feel free to chat, make your predictions, and wait patiently!!"

Our journey continues, with the Beor Mountains and the Alf Mountains always situated on our east and west sides.

I held Nina in my arms, and together with Professor Leon, we sped off like arrows.

Leon, leading the pack at breakneck speed, never even glanced back, yet he was constantly mindful of our pace. Looking at his lion-gold hair, how should I put it? It gave me a sense of reassurance. I couldn't help but feel that simply following his shadow was enough. In the distant 'ancient times,' those who followed the knight's shadow must have felt the same way. Whenever a monster appeared, he would stop, hunting it down without fail, swiftly eliminating the threat to protect the neighboring villages from harm.

During this time, I finally had the opportunity to witness Leon's swordsmanship.

My heart trembled.

The moment the sword was drawn, everything fell silent.

Unlike Miss Ryu's "Iaijutsu", that slash was simply swift and powerful, thus becoming an invisible flash.

It wasn't a chilling aura, but rather a fiery strike that made one's blood boil.

The subtle yet powerful momentum it exuded was awe-inspiring, and even the way it returned to its sheath was captivating.

More than a sense of dread, it inspires a feeling of reliability. This is precisely the 'knight's swordsmanship'.

This is the sword of honesty; even as an enemy, it commands respect.

This is a blade of sincerity; even if one is struck by it, one can leave with honor.

"I will kill you here."

I never imagined that a person could elevate their beliefs to such a level and infuse them into a sword.

At the same time, my intuition even tells me that, compared to Mr. Ota who possesses "absolute defense," Teacher Leon is superior in offense.

That "absolute strike" is exactly what I see.

"My swordsmanship? From 'a certain day' onwards, I have never been distracted, never forgotten the obsession in my heart, only focused on wielding my sword... That's how I got to where I am today, that's all."

During a short break, I couldn't help but ask Professor Leon a question, and he answered me without any hesitation.

Teacher Leon was truly focused solely on wielding his sword.

He persisted in doing something so simple and foolish for hundreds of millions, even trillions of times.

My respect for him grew stronger.