‘Dragon... Slayer?’

A familiar title.

While the title of Dragon Slayer is common in fantasy worlds, in Epiris Academy, only one person comes to mind with that title.

I turned my head to look at Siegfried, who was approaching me.

“I knew you’d do it, Ken.”

He looked at me proudly and lightly patted my shoulder.

‘Is this really okay?’

Originally, Siegfried was supposed to get the Dragon Slayer title, making him renowned as a Swordmaster in the kingdom.

But is it really alright for me to have it first?

“Hey, Ken! Are you listening to me?”

Raphne hugged my neck and pouted her cheeks.

Without much time to ponder, Raphne pressed her face closer and questioned me.

“Who was that woman? Why was she hugging you? And with that completely obsessive look on her face?”

“Uh, obsessive? Raphne…”

As I racked my brain on how to explain, Emily, who was familiar with such situations, came to my rescue.

“You should let go of Ken too.”

“Ugh! Let me go!”

As Emily grabbed the scruff of her neck, Raphne reluctantly let go of me.

Despite her being physically stronger, somehow Raphne couldn’t win against Emily.

Was it because they shared the same fate?

Or was it due to the harsh treatment by Emily at the end of the first year?

“Doesn’t it bother you? She suddenly appeared and called him ‘Master!’ And they seemed oddly close!”

“Well, that’s…”

Emily glanced at me sideways, implicitly agreeing with Raphne’s words.

And when our eyes met, she seemed startled and quickly looked away.

'Could it be that she's one of the few people Raphne has opened her heart to?'

For some reason, Raphne got along quite well with Emily and Mary. Maybe they were the only ones she considered friends, so she gave them some leeway.

“Don’t think weird thoughts. That was just the Demon Sword.”

When Mary joined the conversation and gave me a curious look about Tirfione, I explained the situation in detail. After hearing that it was the consciousness of an Ego Sword, the three of them seemed to understand.

“Still, it feels off.”

Understanding was one thing, but whether they were pleased about it was another.

“…Why? It’s just a sword, Raphne.”

“But I don’t like it because she looked at Ken with such longing eyes. I can't accept a woman like that.”

Emily's shoulder twitched slightly as she listened beside us. It seemed Raphne had her own standards for acceptance.

After chatting and resting for a bit, we turned our attention to dealing with the massive corpse of Tarlos lying in the wide plaza.

A monster's corpse is valuable, especially one belonging to a legendary Ancient Dragon.

We each took a section, cutting the skin, breaking down the bones, and extracting various precious parts of the dragon.

And of all the treasures to be found, one in particular made us salivate.

“…Is this the Dragon Heart?”

Mary, who was helping with the dissection, murmured in awe. As someone attuned to magic, the dragon heart was the most impressive component for her.

Dragon Heart.

It's not only a vital component for the Crystal Sphere, a hidden card of Aspetra, but also an essential material for various top-tier magical devices and magic materials.

Of course, the Dragon Heart from the Ancient Dragon Tarlos is on an entirely different level.

I carefully extracted the jewel-like organ from near Tarlos's heart.

The name ‘Dragon Heart’ doesn't refer to an actual dragon’s heart but rather the magical crystal located near it.

Naturally, the heart itself also holds immense value, so I cautiously disassembled it and placed it in the Subspace Pocket.

In addition to that, I collected dragon hide, wings, tail, and the dragon bones which I primarily use for crafting the Bone Sword.

While I haven't decided how to use all these materials yet, just thinking about it makes me excited.

For a craftsman like me, this is akin to a treasure trove of my wildest dreams.

“Phew… Finally, it's over!”

Emily's voice signalled the end of the Tarlos strategy as she slumped to the ground after placing the last material into the Subspace Pocket.

As if responding to her voice, another message appeared before my eyes.

[System: Congratulations. You are the first to conquer the Tower of Tarlos.]

[System: It is announced within the tower that the tower has been conquered.]

[System: Clear rewards are given.]

While it’s the first time conquering the Tower of Tarlos, the messages are similar to those from other labyrinths.

What stands out most is that the system announces the first clear within the labyrinth.

'...How exactly does it announce it?'

It's not like others can see status windows.

As I continued to dwell on such curiosity for a moment, my thoughts were abruptly interrupted by something that caught my eye.

Something sparkled and gradually descended from the light source on the ceiling, illuminating us like a spotlight.

“This is…”

Adrian, staring in awe, muttered under his breath.

Descending from the sky, it looked like a religious symbol.

A decorative piece resembling a cross with a circular frame intersected by a vertical stick.

In simple terms, it had that kind of feeling, but the intricate carvings and embedded jewels gave it a luxurious aura.

This is the artefact of 'Past Alteration' mentioned in legends.

The very reason we challenged this tower.

I looked at the artefact in my hand with a sense of awe.

Then I turned to look at Raphne, who was gazing at it alongside me.

When our eyes met, she smiled gently.

‘…With this, finally.’

Finally, I could rid us of that prophecy.

The fundamental reason why Raphne was targeted by the Demon King's Army.

The primary cause of Ken Feinstein’s death in a future war.

I carefully caressed the artefact in my hand.

Then, a system window appeared, providing a message explaining the artefact.

[Trial's Emblem: A reward given to the Clearer of the Tower of Tarlos.

Releasing magic to activate it, you can wish to change the past you desire.

*Note: If you change the past, the present will also be changed.

The changing present can lead to unforeseen realities.]

The last cautionary note caught my eye.

Even the System deemed it crucial enough to issue such a warning.

Changing the past was that significant. It meant that the present and future would alter as well.

"What's the matter? Go on, use it already."

Adrian, who wished for the alteration of the past more than I did, urged me impatiently with a puzzled look.

But I shook my head and replied calmly.

"Let's return to the Academy first. We'll use it there."

Of course, it would be great to use it right now.

However, the last cautionary note bothered me enough to hesitate in using this item immediately.

What if changing the past suddenly altered our current location?

The only likely place we could anticipate was the Academy.

To avoid a chaotic situation, I made that decision.

"...If that's what you think, there's no choice, then."

"Is that alright?"

"You played the biggest role in this. I have no right to interfere with your decision."

Although Adrian was a member of the royal family, he seemed willing to defer to me in this matter.

Maybe due to the time I risked my life to create a shortcut by walking into a trap.

Looking at the others, I noticed they had the same reaction as Adrian.

"So, shall we head back?" I asked with a smile.

Everyone nodded with weary smiles.

Thus, we conquered the Tower of Tarlos.

A short while later, in the waiting room next to the Boss Room.

We discovered a newly formed portal there and decided to check it out before stepping through.

The shortcut we initially used to enter was closed, and the portal had disappeared.

So, the only visible portal, apart from the stairs leading down to the 99th floor, was the newly placed one.

After some deliberation, we concluded it would lead us back to the 1st floor.

The System had just informed us we had conquered the tower, after all.

As expected, entering the portal caused a sensation similar to dizziness, and soon, our surroundings changed.

The altered scenery was that of the familiar ruins area.

However, the exact location we arrived at was somewhat surprising.

"Whoa━!! They're here━!! The team that cleared the tower━!!"

As we stepped out of the portal onto the 1st floor, someone's shout was followed by cheers.

We arrived at a plaza-like stage, surrounded by various adventurers around the ancient buildings in the area.

The adventurers clapped, whistled, and shouted things at us.

It felt akin to the cheers an Olympic gold medalist team would receive upon arriving at the airport.

"Hey!! You guys are amazing━!!"

"Wow!! I never thought I’d see the tower conquered in my lifetime━!!"

"Damn! Congratulations, you guys!!"

Some people had joyful smiles, while others had tears of joy in their eyes.

Amidst these varied reactions, someone shouted.

"Oh my! It's Ken Feinstein's party━!"

I heard my name called out from somewhere.

Momentarily confused about how they knew our party's identity, I recalled the Street Vendor at the border earlier.

It was likely that some adventurer who remembered my name from back then had shouted.

"Ken Feinstein?"

"I've heard of him! They say he's the best blacksmith-adventurer in the Lillias Kingdom!"

"A b-blacksmith? He cleared the tower while being a blacksmith?"

"...But where's Ken? Could he have been kicked out?"

Voices discussing our party spread from all directions.

Among them, I heard the panicked voice of an adventurer who knew my former self and couldn't see me.

‘…So this is what announcing the Tower's strategy feels like.’

I lowered my head, feeling a strange sense of embarrassment.

It seemed that some signal had announced the Tower's clearing and that the strategist would appear at this location.

“Ken.”

Just as I was about to flee from the sudden attention and the sound of my name being called, "Uh, what? Sieg, Siegfried?"

"This is a moment to be proud of. Stand tall, Ken."

My mentor, who had never before looked so proud, gazed at me with a beaming smile and grabbed my arm.

When he raised my arm, deafening cheers erupted around us.

"That's him! The leader of the party━!!"

"Whooo! Whistle Whistle━!"

"Ken Feinstein! Ken Feinstein!"

"Wow, he’s incredibly handsome—damn━!!”

“Kyaaaah! Please look this way━!”

“…Huh? This doesn't seem like the Ken I know? No, but the atmosphere…”

With a variety of reactions surrounding us, we experienced a brief moment of celebration as the conquerors of the Tower.

I had seen similar reactions in games when an unexplored labyrinth was finally cleared.

But now that I found myself at the centre of such attention, it felt incredibly embarrassing.

‘…I just want to go back quickly.’

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