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The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

Chapter 257: Off to the Dungeon

“Is that really the Eir?”

A while after I revealed my identity, Rick and the others seemed so shocked that they pinched each other’s cheeks and whacked each other with their staffs to regain their sanity, then Rick muttered as if confirming.

“If you’ve met another Eir the Adventurer, I wouldn’t know, but I’m the Eir from Adonia. Plus, I also saved you from King Trent.”

“W-Wait, you’re really El? But you don’t look the same at all!”

“Well, that’s because I was using magic to disguise myself. This is my true form.”

“Is that so?”

“Quite surprising, isn’t it?”

Fall and Mail also couldn’t hide their astonishment as they stared at me. Then, as if struck by a thought, Sonya grinned and spoke up.

“Hey, hey! Could it be that El is actually a noble? You look super cool, and is that why you were hiding your appearance?”

“Yeah. My real name is Lewis Valentine. I’m the son of the House of Valentine.”

“Whoa! A duke’s family? Should I call you Lord Lewis?”

“Hey, Sonya!”

“Just call me whatever you like. I’m not that particular.”

“Then, I’ll keep calling you El as always!”

Seeing Sonya’s carefree attitude, Mail looked a bit flustered and attempted to intervene, but when I said it was fine, Sonya declared she’d continue calling me the same.

“Hey, if you’re a noble, you must have a fiancée, right? Is it Fiera?”

“Uh, that is…”

“Hmm. I’m the fiancée.”

“Huh?”

Just like when we met in Adonia, it seems Sonya really enjoys love stories. According to her, she could wolf down five parfaits while chatting about someone else’s romance.

I don’t really get it.

And answering Sonya’s romantic inquiry first was Fiera, who confidently declared herself to be the fiancée for some reason.

However, naturally, someone who couldn’t accept such a claim seemed to be lurking behind me, as I felt an indescribable pressure stabbing into my back.

“Fiera, it’s not good to lie, you know?”

“Wow, this girl is also a stunning beauty! And who are you?”

“I’m Iris Pestelose. I’m the fiancée of Lord Lewis.”

“Hmm? Two fiancées of El? What’s going on here?”

“Uh, Sonya, I apologize for interrupting, but Lord Lewis’s fiancée isn’t two people; it’s currently just me.”

“Is that true, El?”

“Yeah. Fiera just wanted to say that.”

“Hmm…”

Sonya alternated glances between Iris and Fiera for a while, then turned her attention to Shuvina, Sonia, and Sephiria behind her, putting her hand to her mouth and smiling cheerfully.

“You’re quite the ladies’ man, aren’t you, El?”

“I don’t really understand.”

“Aw, quit pretending! Fiera, Iris, and Sonia, let’s chat about love later, okay!”

“Sure! I want to hear about Sonya, too, so I happily accept your invitation.”

Iris said that with a smile, but for some reason, her eyes didn’t seem to be smiling, and I felt like I had unknowingly glimpsed something I shouldn’t have.

“Ahem. El, about the dungeon practical this time, can we join your group?”

After the conversation reached a pause, Rick cleared his throat and asked.

“Sure. But for balance, Fall and Sonia should go with Fiera, and Rick and Mail will stick with me. Is that okay?”

“No problem! Though, with you guys in our group, it seems like we won’t get much action, huh?”

Well, it’s true that I’m not belittling Rick and the others’ skills; they certainly seem much stronger than before.

Still, aside from me, Iris and Shuvina are here too, and since Iris hasn’t been slacking off in her training, she’s probably stronger than them now, and Shuvina obviously surpasses them as well.

“Rather, we plan to learn from you guys this time and will do our best.”

“Sounds good! Sonia, you said you’re a magician, so show us some magic!”

“I’ll act as a shield and protect everyone.”

“I doubt there will be a high chance of injury, but if anything happens, I can use healing magic too, so leave it to me. Though, I don’t think it will be necessary since El can use it as well.”

Rick and the others said this with enthusiasm as they divided into their respective groups to confirm the details.

Time swiftly passed, and when Lime instructed us to gather by groups again, the first day of dungeon practicals was about to begin.

By the way, Silfa, who was joining Fiera’s group this time, seemed lost from start to finish, quietly watching us from behind Sephiria.

As directed by Lime, we gathered by groups, and under the guidance of the other instructors, we entered the dungeon through the doors one by one.

Upon entering as instructed, we saw stone walls, a floor, and a ceiling resembling a cave, with the door we came through now closed behind us.

“Wow. So this is the dungeon?”

As soon as we entered, Iris exclaimed in surprise and glanced around as if she were seeing something rare.

“Come to think of it, this is your first time in a dungeon, right?”

“Yes. I heard about it from Fiera and Shuvina, but it’s my first time actually being inside.”

“Then, we need to be careful not to let our guard down. You never know what could happen in a dungeon, and ambushes are a thing. Got it, leader?”

“Yes! I’ll do my best!”

Just to briefly explain our group, I put Iris in charge as our leader as a rear guard, with Shuvina providing support with her bow and magic, while I took on the dual roles of frontline and reconnaissance.

The reason I made Iris the leader was not just because she is a rear guard and I wanted her to gain experience; there’s one more reason.

You see, I’ve fought solo more often than not, and while I know about group combat in theory, I’m not really skilled at issuing detailed commands during a fight.

Also, Shuvina, having been with me and Fiera, isn’t used to directing others, as she’s better at observing our movements and choosing optimal actions on her own.

In other words, aside from Iris, everyone else in this group is someone who tends to maneuver solo without teamwork, which naturally led to her becoming the group’s leader.

Well, I’m aware of my lack of teamwork, and more than anything, I found being a leader a hassle, so it was a relief that Iris volunteered for the job this time.

“By the way, Lewis, you’ve already been in this dungeon before, right? So you know where the path to the lower floors is, right?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t.”

“W-What do you mean you don’t know?”

“Shuvina, were you listening to Lime’s instructions?”

“Of course!”

“Then you realize the entrance changes every time, right?”

“Ah, I see. So since we don’t know where we are now, we also don’t know where the path down is?”

“Exactly.”

In actuality, it wouldn’t be that difficult to find the path to the lower levels if I tried, but since this is a dungeon practical, we don’t need to rush, and even if we don’t hurry, we’ll eventually have to head to the lower floors.

“Let’s just take our time. It’s a reunion with Rick and the others after a while, so talking while searching is perfectly fine.”

“Haha. El always stands out, doesn’t he?”

“If you’re bored, I’ll let Rick and the others handle some fights, so just call out if you feel like it.”

“Hehe. Lord Lewis, if you do that, it won’t be our dungeon practical anymore, right? There are rules for Rick and the others too, so let’s keep it reasonable.”

“Alright.”

Despite being in a dungeon, we began walking while having such relaxed conversations, heading deeper into the dungeon while staying vigilant about our surroundings.

 

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