The Illicitous Dungeon

It had been a week since the heroes were summoned to the Maple Dragon Kingdom by the royal faction. They had been so busy since then that they had forcibly become accustomed to their new life, although there were still complaints of victimhood and not wanting to do something because it was troublesome or too hard.

Some of the heroes had changes in their personalities to various aspects as well, some becoming more reclusive, while others more domineering.

They were currently in a large outdoor field in the castle grounds used exclusively for training.

"Alex, how are you holding up?"

Jake, who had traded a football jersey for a set or light mithril armor, said with a smile to the student who was more reclusive than ever. He placed one hand on his shoulder as he asked, applying a grip harder than necessary.

"That… I am doing okay…" The latter nervously responded while flinching in pain and avoiding eye contact.

Alex was heavily intimidated by Jake, whom had taken it as his responsibility to overlook the entire class.

He was a Compounder, had the lowest stats in the class and the most useless class. It was a production class that could mix, separate, and cause various changes in materials to produce various medicines or more advanced chemicals.

What was worst about the class, is that individual skills could not support an entire kingdom of people, so most of these techniques had been integrated into magitech to allow mass production and endless further material research. This made the class itself almost obsolete, only unknown higher ranked classes proving to be of any value.

"You need to try harder. You are getting left behind by the class by too much."

"I'm sorry, I'm not very good with weapons."

"If you don't try harder, you will be the first to die on the battlefield, you know?"

Jake's grip on his should increased in strength, causing the former to wince in pain.

"I understand… I will do better."

"Excellent, that's the kind of positivity I like to hear! Michael, come over here and spar with Alex!"

Jake released his grip on Alex's and dusted his shoulders before calling over a fellow classmate. Michael was an African American who didn't fit in well with the other black kids. His class was a Defender and was equipped in a low level set of heavy adamantium armor that appeared several sizes too large for his scrawny body.

"Michael, you are superb in defence, while Alex here is still trying to pick up the Swordsmanship skill. Alex, no matter how you attack, Michael can defend against it, so ensure you don't hold back, okay?"

Just like that, the Hero among the heroes left the two to train together while he went to give advice to others before also doing his own training with the head knight overseeing their training.

The knights had already received word from the princess, and Jake was to be closely monitored by them and ensure that he performs up to her expectations. It placed a lot of pressure on his psyche, but he did his best, even if it meant he was forced to guide the others heroes so they could support him better.

He knew that if he went to the battlefield alone, or with people who couldn't keep up, his only fate would be death.

~~~~~

"Irene, they all hate me," Alex aggrieved to his personal maid back in his room later. "They consider me weak, but I'm doing my best!"

Irene merely smiled and offered her support. She sat at the table in his room with one long slender leg crossed over the other, sipping on a cup of tea with a strange delight. It was a behaviour highly unbecoming a maid employed by the royal family, but Alex didn't mind it one bit and was only happy for her presence.

"Hero, I have no doubt you are the strongest of all the heroes, they just don't see it."

"Exactly! I may not be good with a sword, but I can make mana potent sulphuric acid which will eat straight through them!"

"They will undoubtedly see your grandness once they see your strength."

Even with the maid's ever present encouragement, Alex gradually believed that he had untapped potential, and he could be very powerful. Only, this courage and demeaner of his only came out in private with his world defying beauty of a maid.

"Irene… should I leave?"

"Why would the young hero wish to leave?"

"I am… unappreciated. I know I could do grand things, just like you've said. I've made huge progress with compounding, and I have a huge amount of otherworld knowledge, but nobody seems to care. They don't understand how much effort I have put in, and even accuse me of not trying hard enough!"

"I can only sympathise with the hero, but I don't believe you are allowed to just leave. The guards would stop you before you could even leave the castle."

"Is there no way?"

"There is."

"What way?"

"Make a compound to put them to sleep, then sneak out."

"I can do that… but I will need to research more. All the guards are Second Step at the weakest, are constantly at high vigilance, and have unknown resistances, so it will have to be something incredibly potent."

Alex quickly ran through ideas in his head, speaking them to the maid completely forgetting that she was employed by the castle too and the possibility of her leaking his plans to the guards.

"Say, Irene, I like you a lot. If I left, would you come with me?"

"Hero, if you put me on the spot like that, even I won't know how to answer."

"Just theoretically. Perhaps I'm moving too fast for you, but you have always encouraged me and help calm my nerves at the end of the day. I don't know this world like a native would, and I would be stumbling in the dark without you. I will care for you in every way, and only ask that you stay beside me…"

Irene placed the now empty teacup on the table and rested her chin on her hand, her elbow leaning on the table. She stared deeply into Alex's eyes as her ever unchanging smile seemed to become slightly more vibrant, enrapturing the young, summoned hero.

"Hero, if you wished to take me away, there are two conditions you must meet."

"W-what conditions?" Alex stammered in nervousness.

"First, you must provide my wage to me, or at least the equivalent in worth at a minimum."

"I can do that! I have compounding, my abilities can bring in a lot of money!"

"The kingdom has devices and companies that deal in alchemy and other compounding services, they all mass produce these items for bulk prices. I am afraid that despite how valuable your skills are, the market demand may not be there."

Alex felt a stab of pain in his heart as her words struck right in his sore spot.

"I am still a hero, so I have an endless potential of future growth… What is the second condition?"

"You must get permission from his majesty to take me away."

"I-isn't that impossible?"

"I'm afraid it might be."

Alex was dejected, but he still held hope in his heart he would be able to convince her.

"Irene… This may be asking too much, but I think you like me too, so can I… embrace you?"

"Oh my," The maid raised her brows slightly in surprise. "I am considered the property of his majesty, so unless you are seeking an early death, I would recommend refraining from such actions."

"That…" Alex was truly depressed and frustrated now as he lied on his bed and buried his head in his pillow. It was a rough hemp and slightly uncomfortable, but it was all he had now.

"Can you leave me alone for a while…"

"Of course, hero."

Irene gracefully stood up and gave curtsied to the hero lying down before moving to leave the room.

"…Wait," Alex called out through the pillow in a muffled voice.

"Yes?"

"Stay a little longer."

"Of course, hero."

"Also…" He turned his head to look at the beautiful maid who just sat down again, "wasn't that tea supposed to be for me?"

"My apologies, hero, I will go prepare another batch right away."

"This time, I want to drink it."

"Of course, hero."