Chapter 435

Both Arianwyn and Xavier kept a bit of a distance between themselves as they set off from the capital. Nobody had said anything to either of them it's just that without the social lubricant of alcohol they had a hard time figuring out how to approach one another. 

“You could help them, you know.” Ajax whispered to Benedict, he was self aware enough to know that he didn’t have the social skills to help. 

“I would, but this is actually for the best.” Benedict answered. “An official alliance and my relationship with Elara would already draw scrutiny from the other kingdoms, for them to actually have a shot they would need to wait at least until Arianwyn comes to Gryndor.” 

“Also I think you should focus more on the other budding relationship.” Elara said teasingly. 

Elara was referring to Darkclaw and Alana. They hadn’t known each other for long, more than that they had hardly spent any time together since Darkclaw had stayed at the Republic’s embassy most of the time but they got along very well once the trip started. 

Unlike Arianwyn and Xavier, Alana and Darkclaw were chatting with each other and Ajax knew that leaving them to themselves was the best thing that he could do. While his relationship with Alana was years ago by this point he didn’t want to be hovering over them with that past like a black cloud. 

“Fine, you don’t want to talk about that just yet.” Benedict read his silence perfectly. “Let's move on to your lack of storage.” 

Ajax couldn’t hide a wince at that accusation. He had commandeered one of the two worms that Alana and his mother had brought with them, most of that was the staff but there were a number of other items packed away that they had picked up during their delves that they simply ran out of room for in the storage rings they brought with them. 

“Further investments into more spacial storage are already allocated.” Silvia reassured Benedict.

Ajax had shared his Boon with his mother, Alana as well as Lexi, Xavier, Benedict and Anna. It was one of the few times he had seen Anna so shocked, it had taken her almost three minutes before she managed to take in the information. 

The following discussion with Alana and Silvia went much better as he explained that his weapon budget would need to expand exponentially once they returned to Gryndor, without his new Boon it would have been a very heavy anchor to tie to the House so early in their establishment as a duchy.

“I wasn’t expecting to get something of that size that has to be kept intact.” Ajax defended himself, he had managed to handle the massive bar of magical alloy for his father by all but giving up all the space in his own personal spacial ring. “And it’ll probably get worse.” 

Ajax very much expected that he will return to wearing a spacial enchanted backpack once again during his delves. Not because they are cheaper, the one he will be wearing will be even more expensive than spacial rings, but because they are much easier to enchant to truly massive sizes that are required for storing a couple mammoth size bodies.

The trip to the next dungeon took about two weeks, while the distance wasn’t that large now that they were in Sylvanthal there was no rush and they had briefly stopped for the night at a village or a city to rest. 

By the time they arrived at the dungeon the awkwardness between Arianwyn and Xavier had diminished to the point where they could talk to each other without issue as long as they weren’t alone.

“Don’t.” the prince said as Ajax was fighting an internal struggle. 

“But…” Ajax was cut off quickly. 

“She hasn’t done anything like that before, using such large amounts of mana takes practice, all you can do is watch.” the prince’s argument put the nail in the coffin for Ajax’s internal debate. 

Ajax had been thinking of letting Lexi use the staff to face the level seventy two miniboss on the third floor. He knew that she managed to fight similar levels before but maybe this could make it easier for her.

“Once we return to Gryndor from the Empire I very much encourage you in reaching out to Duke Manashaper about how to safely train with such amounts of mana.” the prince continued. “Let me be very clear, an item like that is extremely valuable because it can take the pressure of wielding that much mana away from the caster, but in doing so it also makes it that much easier for you to hurt or even kill yourself with a spell.” 

Ajax was slightly reluctant but in the end he agreed with the prince that the staff would be best left with the convoy, he was sure that the worms had drawn the attention of more than one or two thieves but none of them should be stupid enough to try and steal from the group containing royalty of two different kingdoms. 

With that the group entered the dungeon. The first floor was quickly bypassed as nobody could gain anything from it, more than that everyone was comfortable in clearing the second floor regardless of what enemy it spawned so they took the first arch they found, the only difference from how they usually did things up until now was that Ajax was the one to kill the arch guardian so that he could bring the body of the bull outside.

“Do normal animals ever start feeling too small?” Ajax asked Aranor and the prince. The bull was maybe on the large side for the breed but by no means out of the ordinary compared to the domesticated animal, it was much stronger and the mana infused meat would have a much nicer flavour but the size was still normal. “I can’t help but compare it to the worm, and I know worms should be smaller than bulls.” 

Almost all of the monsters that could be of a threat to him were many times larger than he was, at least the ones he had seen here. That his latest fights included, an elephant sized hellhound, an ettin and a carnivorous worm that had no danger of choking when swallowing him whole didn’t help. 

“It’s more of an issue for high level adventurers.” Aranor explained. “We don’t delve all that often. Your recent delving spree aside, it is always a risk for people like me to delve. While the chances that I might die in the dungeon even when delving at an appropriate floor are one in a hundred, if I do fall the capital could be wiped out.” 

“This was something that I would have had to talk to you about once we returned but with your new Boon I don’t see your delving slowing all that much from the monthly delve you did during your time at the Academy.” the prince said. “I would usually do one delve a year and there have been years where I simply didn’t delve.” 

“At our level of skill there is nothing to be gained from constant delves.” Aranor continued. “Not unless we are pushing ourselves into dangerous situations. While that would help with our level, the risk is simply unmanageable and unacceptable.” 

The second floor turned out to be a boon for Elara. The entire floor seemed to be a wide open field that was under the heaviest storm he had ever seen. Lightning flashed every few seconds and the roar of thunder was a constant companion. 

“I’m staying on this floor.” Elara had been on the floor for all of five minutes before she let everyone know. “There is so much I can gain from this.” 

Unlike even the strongest natural storms in Sylvanthal this storm was perfectly accompanied by a heavy infusion of water, wind and lightning mana. Ajax could even feel pulses of Vibration mana every time the thunder cracked in the ears. 

Fighting the wind and water wielding predator birds was pretty easy for all of them, Xavier, Anna, Lexi and Benedict all managed to take them out in short order. The ones that wielded Lightning were still a bit of an issue for both Xavier and Benedict who liked to get in close. 

“I’ll also stay here.” Benedict said once everyone cleared the floor. “Even if she heavily outpowers the place she could still run out of mana if she’s not careful.” 

“But what about the next floor?” Elara was the first to object. 

“I know I won’t be killing a level seventy two.” Benedict shook his head. “Xavier has a chance but until I grow my skills and my experience to match my new stats this is as far as I go.”  

Unlike previously they no longer had any rangers with them. They would be leaving them two of them alone, with their relationship status being what it was; this was a political problem.

“I’ll stay with them.” Arianwyn volunteered. “It might not be a blizzard but there is still quite a bit I can learn from a magical storm.” 

With that everyone else left the three of them as they entered the third floor of the dungeon.