The Boy Who Fell to the Lowest Level of the Dungeon, Becoming the Strongest and Returns to the Surface After 10 Years~He Just Wants to Live a Quiet Life, but His Childhood Friends Who Have Risen to Prominence Won’t Leave Him Alone~ - Chapter 17: “Captain” of the Royal Capital Knights Order

“Is that the boy everyone’s been talking about?”

A man with a well-trained physique──Schwa muttered from the shadows of the knight’s base.

He is the captain of the Royal Capital Knights Order.

Currently, just before the showdown between Elta and Azil begins…

Schwa had not been able to show his face for a while due to outside work, so today he was secretly visiting to observe the usual activities of the knight order.

Because he had received a report from Celia.

“I will invite my childhood friend.”

The report began with such words and was filled with interesting things.

Mainly, it is about the various incidents that occurred after Elta returned to the surface.

Also, it seems that his name had firmly reached Schwa’s ears.

(Was it Elta-kun? I heard a bit about him, but I wonder what he’s really like.)

In the direction of Schwa’s smirking gaze, the confrontation between Elta and Azil began.

“Begin!”

And just as it began, Schwa would be surprised.

(What is that?)

Though he was a novice with a sword, Elta’s movements were, to put it mildly, extraordinary.

The way he starts moving, the way he exerts his strength, the speed of his next move—everything is beyond human.

Rather, it would be more convincing to call it “beast-like” due to its wild and free-spirited nature.

(Or rather, that movement…!)

And in Schwa’s mind, there is something excessive.

Elta’s movements somehow overlap with a bitter memory from the past…

(The Asterla Dungeon crosses my mind…!)

Elta has fallen, Asterla Dungeon.

That place is an S-rank dungeon, the highest difficulty level, where many great figures have attempted to challenge it over the past ten years, only to have their dreams shattered.

One of those big shots is this Schwa.

He is always seeking strength and also engages in activities as an explorer.

And then, when he finally became an A-rank.

With the party members who were granted permission to challenge the S-rank, they finally set foot into the Asterla Dungeon.

However, they only reached the entrance of the “mid-layer.”

(Those monsters over there are all freaks.)

Due to the overwhelming danger beyond the mid-levels, they barely managed to turn back with their life.

He can’t shake the feeling that the movements of the monster at that time were similar to Elta’s movements.

However, what surprises Schwa the most is not there.

Beyond that… the terrifying part of Elta was becoming visible.

To reflect that thought, the development of the mock battle has just changed.

“Haa!”

“Wh-What…!?”

Elta finally stopped Azil’s sword.

If Schwa is also a swordsman, he can understand how abnormal this is.

(This growth rate is truly monstrous…!)

Yes, the most terrifying thing about Elta is neither its speed nor its power.

This “overwhelming growth rate.”

(Azil may not be blessed with physical abilities, but his swordsmanship is top-notch. I could say it’s second only to mine and Celia’s. Can he withstand that sword…!)

The Captain, Schwa, swallowed hard.

He had never seen someone so full of talent before.

However, this is not the end.

(I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve overlooked something…)

Elta’s movements remind him of the monsters in the Asterla Dungeon, but something still feels off.

That sense of discomfort was wiped away by the next attack from Elta.

“The Strongest Race Series, Part Two── [Fist of the Fierce God].”

(…Huh!?）

Seeing the fist that could destroy walls, Schwa finally understood.

Elta’s movements are similar to the monsters he saw in the Asterla Dungeon, but it’s on a whole different level…

(Could it be… even lower…?)

Elta says he fell into a mysterious room and was saved by coincidence.

However, he had an intuition with the strongest species, The Strongest Race Series.

His movements are like a “superior version” of the monster he saw.

Then, Schwa falls into even more terrifying delusions.

(He wouldn’t say he has already learned it, would he…?)

Elta’s greatest weapon is its overwhelming growth speed.

What if, at that speed, he was also learning the movements of lower-tier monsters?

He can’t even imagine what will happen.

Furthermore, there was a period of ten years to learn.

If it’s as delusional as it seems, he has no idea how far Elta has reached in any domain.

(What is this boy…!)

Growth speed, insensitivity, and the mentality to become friends with the lowest-tier monsters.

Elta is not the strongest because he fell to the lowest level.

Elta is the strongest because he fell to the lowest level.

(Interesting! Truly interesting! I must see more of him!)

In such a situation, Schwa’s heart dances as a strong warrior.

No matter what, he thought he should maintain a relationship with him.

(Celia seems to have strong feelings too, and he is necessary for the development of the knight order!)

Thanks to the wind pressure from the punch, fortunately… the wall was smashed.

Despite appearances, Schwa is a man who will stop at nothing for the advancement of the organization.

He was planning to secretly observe the situation, but Schwa jumped out from the shadows.

And so, here they are now.

“I want to appoint you as the ‘Special Advisor to the Knights’ Order’.”

“Whaaaaaat!?”

Elta raised his voice and continued while waving both hands.

“W-What?! I don’t know anything about swords!”

“Ah, that’s why it would be great if you could be my partner.”

“Partner?”

In the first place, there is no such position as “special advisor.”

It’s a role that Schwa thought up on a whim.

Therefore, Schwa makes a proposal that seems fitting for the development of the group.

“That’s right. When you fight and win against the guild members, Celia and I will guide you on the points to reflect on each time. You’ll be the one playing the role of the opponent. Fortunately, you seem to be well-versed in monsters.”

“…!”

In response, Elta also slightly widened his eyes.

(He noticed that I imitated the movements of my friend…!)

It seems that he has developed a greater respect for Schwa.

However, Elta just wants to live a modest life.

With such thoughts, he peeked over at Celia as if seeking help.

“However, as for Celia…”

“Let’s do that. No, we absolutely should!”

“Wait, what!?”

It’s a completely opposite attitude from earlier.

It’s no wonder Elta was surprised, but Celia was genuinely happy.

(I can be with El-kun more!)

Seeing her expression, realizing it was hopeless, Elta turned to the other members.

“Then what about the members──”

“Hey, are you guys going to follow my menu?”

“””…Ugh!”””

However, as if to interrupt Elta, Schwa himself spoke up.

Then the members turned pale and simultaneously bowed their heads to Elta.

“””Please, Elta-san!”””

“Eh!?”

It’s more of a plea than an invitation.

Upon closer inspection, the members of the group are trembling.

They must have remembered the captain’s training.

(The captain’s menu, how tough is it going to be…)

Despite everything, Elta is also a good-natured person.

At this point, there was no choice but to nod in agreement.

So, it seems he thought it would be good if he could be forgiven for the wall incident.

“Since I also have teaching duties, it’s difficult to do it every day, but I’ll work for the wall…”

“I see, thank you!”

In response to that agreement, Schwa tightened his handshake, and the members of the group followed him by raising their voices.

“””Thank you very much!”””

“Ah, ahaha…”

Thus, Elta became both a lecturer at the academy and a special advisor to the knight order.

“Yes!”

Only Celia was secretly doing a fist pump.

★

At the same time, in a certain place in the royal capital.

“I’m home!”

To a relatively large base, a woman with an older sister vibe is returning.

Someone who was inside the base rushed over to her.

“Welcome back, older sister!”

“Hey, hey, that’s a dangerous way to call someone. At least call me ‘big sister’.”

What the older sister is carrying is a lot of harvested goods.

It seems she had been on a long dungeon exploration.

The older sister let out a sigh as she set down her luggage, a satisfied look appearing on her face.

“This time too, it’s just okay.”

“With this, the research on ‘magical armor’ will progress again!”

“Yeah.”

What is placed in this base are medicines, materials from magical creatures, and tools she has never seen before.

It seems like they are researching monsters to develop new technologies.

Amidst all this, a subordinate conveys to the “older sister.”

“Speaking of which, there’s someone who’s been the rumor of the town lately.”

“Rumor?”

“Yes, they say everything is ‘Elta’──”

“Huh?!”

However, the moment the name was mentioned, the “older sister” shot back with an incredible expression.

“Hey! Give me the details on that story!!”

“Y-yes. That’s fine, but…”

She seemed to know that name.

(Could it be that El… has come back!?)

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Afterword

With his overwhelming talent, Elta-kun even captured the heart of Captain Schwa (?).

Just because he’s too nice, he ended up becoming a special advisor to the knight order.

Maybe the one who benefited the most was Celia? Haha

And the childhood friends will be gathering soon!