Time and age. The captains observe the corridor's surroundings while pondering those two words. Hilda takes a long look at the skull torches, notices the size differences again, and barely resists the urge to facepalm. Yes, they had to light the unlit torches just like they did at the start, but...
"It has a specific order," Hilda comments.
"Now that you mention it, the answer is pretty obvious!" Lynel replies.
The woman lights the three torches, starting from the smallest up to the largest. A crunching sound echoes, and the bottom of the door releases a puff of dust before rising, revealing a staircase. Climbing up, the captains soon reach a room dominated by a blue glow. Beeping sounds come from the giant crystal floating above the pit.
«Congratulations, lab rats!» Jimbo exclaims, quite satisfied.
The knights' mental activity brought him a not-insignificant amount of aether.
Dowmy runs to stand next to the crystal and starts clapping.
"Congratulations to both of you. You really did it, and almost without any help."
Lynel puffs out his chest, feeling proud. Hilda looks less pleased, though her expression had softened as they overcame the trials; perhaps for a moment, she had even forgotten her suspicion of the dungeon core.
"For my first experience inside a dungeon, I must admit it was very stimulating! My granddaughter would have loved it!" Lynel says.
Jimbo urges Dowmy to ask the necessary questions. The imp nods at the core before turning her attention to the captains.
"So, did you like the experience...? Do you agree with us?"
Lynel nods, impressed and in total agreement with the idea, though he suspects his companion might have a different opinion. Everyone looks at Hilda.
"I suppose for a first floor, it's not bad. Maybe, as long as we maintain certain safety conditions, the troop could get some use out of this," Hilda comments. Dowmy is about to jump for joy, but the woman quickly narrows her only eye and adds, "However, Dungeon Core, even if I were full of praise for you, you do know we don't make the decisions here, right?"
«I know. But if your king is telling the truth and values his aides' opinions, I lose nothing by trying. All I ask for is a good recommendation, if I've earned it.»
Dowmy relays the core's words. Hilda and Lynel exchange glances. Both knights commit to speaking with the king.
...
The double doors to the dungeon open. Hilda and Lynel appear, both discussing their experiences in the different trials, but they fall silent upon noticing who is waiting for them in the laboratory: a troop of armored soldiers, Arrax's assistant, and King Marc himself. Lynel and Hilda hurry to take a knee. The king grants them permission to stand and demands explanations.
"You don't look like you're in a hurry or just escaped the clutches of danger," Marc says.
"It's a bit complicated to explain, Your Majesty, but if you'd grant us a few minutes of your time, we'd clear everything up," Hilda requests.
King Marc scratches his beard, looks past the knights at the doors leading to a new cavernous chamber, and considers the situation.
"Did the Dungeon Core bare its fangs and claws?" the monarch questions.
"Not at all, Your Majesty," Lynel says.
Marc, knowing that Lynel can sometimes be too soft on those who show him presumed goodwill, looks to Hilda expecting a harsher opinion.
The woman thinks for a few seconds before answering.
"For now, the Dungeon Core is no danger to us," Hilda says.
Marc nods, satisfied with that. He postpones the debrief on the Dungeon Core; in his view, there is a more pressing matter to report to his knights. He stations two guards to watch the doors and orders the rest back to their routines.
...
Claus's room is located in the same hallway as the king's. The First Captain is usually the primary defender of the monarch and his family. Since the dark elf invasion took everyone by surprise, it was an anomaly for Claus to be far from Marc.
Commoners hold the belief that captains live a life of luxury, but that isn't entirely true. Hilda lives for work and training, Lynel takes fewer breaks than his family would like, and Claus's bedroom is a testament to his austere life: a single bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and a trunk, all of mediocre quality.
Claus is lying in bed, with Laikara and two oracles in dark robes and faces covered by hoods with an embroidered eye leaning over him. Lynel and Hilda are left speechless seeing the strongest man in the kingdom in this state—eyes sealed shut, pale, his breathing barely perceptible, and a cut on his cheek that shows no signs of healing. The maids had removed Claus's armor, but by Laikara's orders, touching the helmet was forbidden.
A golden aura, like the halo of a candle, envelopes the captain's body.
Laikara, noticing the newcomers, approaches the entrance to report her findings to the king and his trusted aides.
"There's no doubt, it's the Spider Goddess's poison," Laikara says.
"The Spider Goddess...?" Lynel asks.
Laikara explains that the Spider Goddess is the main deity of the dark elves, and that the poison is said to come directly from her left fang, while the ultimate aphrodisiac flows from her right.
"We don't know the deity's exact name; we don't even know if the Spider Goddess truly exists or if she's just a myth they created to confuse humanity. But the reality of the poison is clear. We've known of its existence for centuries, and for centuries we've been unable to find a cure."
Laikara's explanation causes their bitter expressions to deepen, and it doesn't help when the witch clarifies that a single drop entering the body can cause death in minutes.
"Then Claus...?" Hilda bites her lip, not wanting to finish the question for fear of the answer.
"Don't worry, he'll live for a while at least. The helmet is preventing the poison from destroying him," Laikara clarifies, turning her gaze back to the bed. "His situation is atypical; we might be able to save him."
Hilda's attention also shifts to the helmet; the golden wings rise above a wreath of laurels. It's a flashy piece that doesn't fit Claus's style, but the sentimental weight it carries rests on the First Captain like an anvil.
"Even in death, Anya watches over him," Lynel murmurs with a solemn tone, his fist near his heart.
"Arrax always wanted to study the helmet's blessing, but Claus never let him," Hilda says, and eager to escape bitter memories, she asks Laikara about the details of the attack.
"A dark elf. I wish I could say more, but—"
"Spare any consideration for me, Lady Laikara. It was my fault."
The voice comes from the hallway; the captains recognize it. Axiel enters the bedroom. The large number of people inside makes the room feel even smaller and more suffocating.
"Axiel, welcome. Pity the circumstances had to be so... grim," Lynel says.
"What do you mean it was your fault?" Hilda asks without a shred of cordiality.
Axiel isn't fazed by Hilda's attitude; instead, with a serious face, he begins to relay the details of the attack and how they were saved from the worst by a soldier patrolling near the shortcut.
"A very brave man; his name is Marcus," Axiel says.
"Good old Marcus! I know him; I'll have to give that boy some well-deserved leave," Lynel says.
Axiel resumes the story.
"The shortcut was supposed to be secure and secret, but somehow the information reached the dark elves' ears," the Second Captain says.
Eyes turn to Laikara; she frowns.
"The information didn't leak from this castle, I can assure you of that," she says, and although she tries to keep her tone cold, a hint of indignation slips through at the suspicion of a potential weakness or mole among the oracles. "And as I was saying, we would have found out more... if Sir Axiel hadn't destroyed the assassin's body."
"I'll admit I was taught to never underestimate my enemies," Axiel states, holding Laikara's gaze.
"Lamenting over what could have been will get us nowhere!" the king decrees, his teeth clenched at the thought of having one captain in a coma and another dead if Axiel had taken too big a risk. "It is clear that the dark elf threat remains ever-present, and we will need all the help we can get to protect our kingdom."
The monarch sweeps his gaze across everyone's faces, finally landing on Hilda.
"And when I say all the help, I mean all of it... My priority is to protect the bastion Estoicus built; the United Kingdoms Council politics can come later. We will use, if necessary, the invention Arrax created."
"Your Majesty, are you speaking of the Dungeon Core?" Axiel asks, a hand resting under his chin. "Claus told me about it. I wish to meet it, and if possible, take charge of its supervision."
"You will meet it soon, Axiel. I also want Laikara to take a look at it. But considering you just arrived, perhaps the most suited to oversee the core are Lynel or Hilda."
Hearing their names, both captains straighten their backs and stand at attention, awaiting any decision from the king.
Marc doesn't know if the decision he is making—to use the Dungeon Core's power—is the right one, but with his primary strength lying in a bed with no hope of waking up, he has to use everything at his disposal to fulfill his duty.