The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter

Layla-san was a foreign exchange student so it was strange to see her in the party. As I was thinking that, she found me and came over.

「Noir-kun, what are you doing here?」

「I’m here as Emma’s escort. I’m technically, though barely, a noble.」

「Is that so? That’s a nice dress, Emma-san.」

「Muuu…」

「I think she doesn’t like me.」

Emma regarded Layla-san with moist eyes for a while, then shook her hand.

「I’m Emma. Noir’s childhood friend and partner.」

「I-I see. So you two are close.」

「You should let me know too before you do anything to Noir, Layla-san.」

「I-I get it. So please just let go of my hand.」

Apparently Emma had quite a grip. But that was neither here nor there. I moved the conversation along. She clearly wasn’t here to attend the party since she was wearing casual clothing. It was also evident from the fact that she stayed in the corner inconspicuously.

「You don’t know? We’re here for security. The people you see over there are all members of Ramuh.」

「Did Count Bourne ask for you?」

「Yeah. The Phantom is after his treasure apparently.」

「Phantom?!」

Emma and her parents’ reaction was over-the-top. Were they really that interested in the Phantom? Then again, it made sense. The fellow has been causing trouble in town recently and was known for targeting only nobles and stealing valuable treasures like it was nothing. His thieving and combat skills were reputedly top-notch.

「I can’t disclose any details, but suffice to say that we’re here to protect that treasure.」

「I see.」

「I heard the Phantom were actually a pair. But with all these competent Ramuh guild members, we’ll surely catch the thieves. You can all dance in peace.」

Layla-san gave me a lovely wink as she returned to her post. She said they were here to protect a treasure. There was only an old clock as tall as a full-grown adult near them. It didn’t look valuable. It was then that I noticed Emma and her parents’ pale expressions.

「Are you all okay?」

「Actually, Noir-kun… it’s not just the count’s treasure that the Phantom’s after.」

「Dad, stop! You don’t have to tell Noir.」

「You know we can’t do that.」

「Then at least wait until the dance is over. I want to dance with Noir first.」

「All right. Later then.」

I could tell it was a serious matter. But Emma just smiled as if saying that everything was fine.

「There’s nothing to worry about. I swear.」

「You’re trying too hard, Emma. I can tell between a forced and a genuine smile.」

「Uhh… I guess I can’t hide it from you. I’ll tell you after we dance, so just bear with me for now.」

「Okay, I understand.」

The thief always struck late at night. It was still early in the evening there was still plenty of time. We’ll just have fun till then.

「Thank you all for coming here. I’m Bourne Rislet.」

Count Bourne stood in the middle of the hall and greeted everyone with a bow. He started with a normal speech then a stir swept through the entire hall. Why? Because the name Phantom came out of his mouth.

「A few days ago, I received a notice. The sender was the fellow who’s caused a stir in our society recently, the Phantom.」

「N-No way…」

「The Phantom is after the Count Bourne?」

「I ask you to remain quiet. Please rest assured. He’s after the Mermaid’s Tear that I own, but we’re not going to let him steal it. I have here the kingdom’s number one guild and their very competent adventurers as guards.」

Layla-san and the others bowed slightly at the Count’s introduction. Emma was quietly complaining, saying “Odin’s number one” and I nodded in agreement about five times.

「We have elite troops that I’ve hired for a huge sum stationed in the vicinity and the other rooms. Intrusion is impossible. Even if they did somehow manage to get in, they would have no idea where to go since they don’t know where the Mermaid’s Tear is. Hahaha.」

His confidence eased the worries of the partygoers somewhat. The Mermaid’s Tear was a precious jewel, small enough to hide in one’s palm. There were a lot of rooms in the hall so finding it would require a lot of effort.

The party was formally opened with the Count’s call and I started working on the exquisite cuisine. They were mostly of high grade and while my mouth enjoyed the food, I didn’t get much LP. If only there were some rare delicacies… Wait, what’s that?

「Hey, Emma. Are my eyes deceiving me or is that a monster’s head?」

「Oh, apparently it’s the head of a monster called Yummy Bull. It shows up occasionally in the neighboring country. It’s also quite the gourmet as it would only eat expensive corn. 」

「So, you eat its brain?」

「Go forth, third son of the Stalgia family!」

She’s enjoying this for sure. She pushed me from behind and I made my way to the monster head. It was supposed to be dead but its eyes were firm and I could feel some kind of pressure. Its skull was removed, its brains exposed. I had some served onto my plate. It was white and had plenty of wrinkles. Are Yummy Bulls smart? My heart was pounding as I dug in.

It had smooth texture like soft roe. It was soft and fluffy, but not too much; just a bit firm with pretty even consistency. Above all, it was delectable. A bit sweet, like a golden slime’s jelly. What set it apart was how it got sweeter the more you chew. I finished my plate in no time.

「You look happy.」 Emma pointed out.

I grinned as I checked my LP. It increased by 500. Coming to noble parties might not be too bad if I could have this kind of food. The problem was talking to the other nobles and dancing. I wasn’t really good at either.

Well, I got some LP so time to learn the skill【Dancing】to make me a better dancer!

It only cost 200 LP so I created the skill without hesitation. Now there’s no need to fear dancing. I think!