Standing in front of the workshop, Aldo furrowed his brow in suspicion.

"...Director Luna. Darius-dono... or rather, I don't feel any sign of people at all. Is everything alright?"

As Aldo questioned her, Luna walked calmly toward the workshop door.

There's no lock on it.

It would be incredibly careless in the royal capital, but this is outside the barrier.

Since there aren't many people who would bother to come all the way to this forest, there was no need to worry about security.

As she opened the door and entered, Luna slowly looked around the workshop.

"...The amount of materials has decreased quite a bit."

The piles of ore and wood stacked in the corners are noticeably lower than before.

On the other hand, the shelf of weapons leaning against the wall had a few more swords and axes. And a shed that wasn't there before had been added a little distance from the workshop.

"...That over there must be the storage for the newly made items."

And most decisively, the magical tool Luna had given Darius before was completely cut off.

It's a magical tool for remotely monitoring his health, but after instantly analyzing the situation, Luna reaches a conclusion.

"Yes, that's right… I think he's probably on an expedition."

"An expedition?"

"Yes. There's a dungeon nearby. Darius-san is always collecting materials there."

"...A dungeon!? Are there dungeons even outside the barrier!?"

Dungeons―. Mysterious underground labyrinths that suddenly appear in various parts of the world.

Some say it is the product of trials given by the gods, while others say it is a trap created by evil gods to toy with humans.

It has been studied for many years, and countries around the world are still conducting research, but ultimately, its true identity remains unknown to anyone, a mysterious being.

"The dungeon near here is a bit strange. Its internal structure changes drastically at regular intervals. It's a mysterious dungeon."

"...So, there's a dungeon like that? Not like a dungeon that's been conquered and then reborn, is it?"

Aldo's question was also quite reasonable.

If they defeat the boss at the deepest part of the dungeon and destroy the core magic stone beyond it, the dungeon will be conquered and disappear.

That's common sense in this world.

And it's said that dungeons tend to form in similar locations. So, it's a very common idea to think that a dungeon might be reincarnating.

"No, it's not different. It's the same dungeon, but only the structure changes. I have investigated it a few times myself, but I never figured out the cause."

"...That's also interesting. Do the monsters and materials that appear also change?"

"That's right. However, even if the monsters that appear change, the materials you can collect don't seem to change that much. For example, if a monster on the first floor drops iron ore, even if the structure or the monsters that appear change, you'll still be able to get iron ore."

"...That, depending on the materials that appear, there are places that would want them so badly they'd practically kill for them."

"Yes. I heard Darius-san built this workshop near the dungeon because it's convenient for collecting materials. He's probably investigating the new dungeon right now. He might be down there for a while... he might not be back for a bit."

Even as she said that, a heavy weight settled in Luna's chest.

She thought she would finally be able to meet him, and with that single thought, she finished her work at the Magic Academy and came all this way but if she had to return to the royal capital without seeing him...

The growing loneliness and anxiety unconsciously tighten her face.

It was then that Luna bit her lip tightly in disappointment.

Luna gasped and looked up, and Aldo was next to her as he tensed as if surprised.

"No way, a monster...?!"

Aldo immediately raised his staff.

However, Luna quietly shook her head, as if to dispel his wariness.

"No, Darius-san has returned."

"...Is that so? How did you know?"

"While he was inside the dungeon, even my detection magic tool didn't react. That reaction just appeared now."

"For detection?"

"Yes. I have a magic tool I made before. Darius-san always wears it."

"Hmm... and what kind of impact does that have?"

"...It acts like a radar, roughly indicating his location. Magic outside the barrier or within a dungeon is disrupted, so it's difficult to detect him unless he's relatively close, even outside the barrier or in the royal capital... but at this distance, I can detect him. That's how I knew he had come out of the dungeon."

Luna said that as a matter of course, but Aldo immediately tilted his head.

"Th-that sounds like stalking... Darius-dono knows about that―"

"It's for Darius-san's protection. I'm not a stalker."

"...But it won't react if it's in the royal capital―"

"Then there's no problem. Now, Darius-san will be back soon. We should get ready to greet him..."

Luna perfectly accepted Aldo's extremely valid point.

At the end of that gaze, from beyond the forest path, a man appears, happily smiling and carrying a large piece of material on his back.

Upon seeing that, Luna couldn't help but smile.

(Darius-san! It's Darius-san! I finally met him! I've been wanting to meet him, I've wanted to meet him for so long! Oh, my clothes... I've been traveling this far, so I wonder if my clothes are dirty!? It's okay, right!? Or, am I sweaty!? And my hair, is my hair messy!? Does it have any weird kinks!? I finally got to meet him, but I'm in such a shabby state... What if he's disappointed...!)

Luna took a small, deep breath once to calm the anxiety in her heart. Then, after exhaling completely, she approached Darius.

"It's been a while, Darius-san."

"Oh, Luna, it's been a while."

Chapter 26