Translator: Nox

My Husband Was Clearly a Paladin

Chapter 23

“Just the two of us?”

Irene’s voice rose despite herself. She had assumed they would be accompanied by those observing the Unstable Dungeon, so the news that only the two of them were entering left her bewildered.

“There is no need for great concern. An initial survey of the interior has already been completed using an artifact.”

As if to prove his words, a mass of blue light floated beside a staff member of the Kingdom Alliance standing at the entrance.

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve seen one of those.’

That was one of the artifacts jointly owned by the Kingdom Alliance.

Known as the Eye of Exploration, it was standard procedure to send this artifact into any newly discovered dungeon.

The Eye of Exploration would swiftly sweep through the interior, identifying the structure and the types of monsters within.

Once the Eye completed its sweep and emerged, the staff would review the records to document the dungeon’s rank and a rough list of monsters.

Knights would then apply for dungeons suited to their abilities based on those records.

“I am told that although it is an Unstable Dungeon, it does not differ significantly from a regular one.”

“If that is the case, then it should be fine, but…”

Then is there even a reason to take me along?

Though curious, Irene did not voice the thought.

In any case, it was natural for a pair to enter together, so she could not refuse his request for her company.

Just then, Michael held out his hand to her.

It was a natural escort, but Irene took a step back as if flinching away from him.

It was because she had instinctively recalled the purification from the other night.

No matter how she thought about it, that act had been far from stable or peaceful. Above all, if she ever showed such a pathetic sight in front of others…

Goosebumps erupted all over her body.

When Irene hesitated and avoided him, Michael withdrew his hand as if he had no choice.

At that, the gazes of the other purifiers waiting nearby grew sharp.

They likely thought she was putting on airs just because she was now a pair, despite her lacking abilities.

Thinking that being disliked was simply her fate one way or another, Irene followed behind Michael.

After completing the simple verification process at the dungeon entrance and stepping closer, Irene’s mouth went dry with tension.

‘Is this really… going to be okay?’

The entrance’s appearance, size, and color shifted frantically, as if screaming that this was an incredibly dangerous place.

But since the Eye of Exploration had deemed it fine, she couldn't exactly refuse to go in.

Then, Michael held out his hand again.

“…”

Irene stared blankly at the hand he offered. She hadn't expected him to try again, so why?

As if reading her mind, he spoke in a worried tone.

“In an Unstable Dungeon, there are rare occasions where one might get separated while passing through the entrance…”

Grab.

Before he could even finish, Irene snatched his hand.

“I wish you had told me such an important detail sooner.”

She tried to speak as calmly as possible, but even to her own ears, her voice came out in a pathetic, squeezed-out strain.

She knew better than anyone how helpless a purifier was when left alone in a dungeon without a knight.

“I should have mentioned it earlier. My apologies.”

Michael looked down at Irene, who was clutching his hand with desperate haste, and apologized.

Irene shook her head.

“No, I think I’m just being too sensitive.”

Michael hadn't done anything wrong. Irene was simply being high-strung because of her own memories.

Irene braced herself and looked at the dungeon entrance. Firmly holding her hand, Michael led her into the dungeon.

As they stepped through the entrance of eerie light that obscured the other side, the air immediately felt different from the outside world.

‘So this is an abnormal dungeon.’

To be honest, the moment she entered, Irene felt a small sense of relief.

She felt a bit more dizzy than usual, but that was the only change.

The interior was not much different from any other dungeon.

‘I was so tense, it’s almost embarrassing.’

Since she had never been inside one in the past, she couldn't help it. Even regular dungeons were frightening; a mid-rank abnormal dungeon was practically an unknown world, no matter how many records she had read.

‘But… it’s okay?’

Feeling relieved, Irene looked down at Michael’s hand, which she was still holding.

She had grabbed it out of fear, but she had been worried that a spontaneous purification might start again, just like that night.

However, contrary to her fears, nothing like the previous night occurred.

Seeing as nothing was happening, it seemed the demonic energy accumulated within him had been completely extinguished during the last purification, leaving nothing left to purify.

‘But now I’m even more self-conscious.’

Was it because she was fully conscious?

His large, rough hand felt incredibly vivid. The thick joints of his fingers, the calluses formed from years of gripping a sword. Even the uneven texture of old scars.

For some reason, she could feel them more clearly than if she were looking at them, so Irene flushed and subtly tried to pull her hand away.

“…?”

At that, he stopped in his tracks, having been walking forward without hesitation.

“Why are you letting go?”

“We’ve entered safely, so I thought it would be fine now. Also, I was worried that if you keep holding onto me, it might be a nuisance when monsters appear.”

“I am not so weak as to find that a nuisance.”

His voice sounded somewhat displeased.

“Ah… It’s not that I doubt your skills, Sir Michael. I just thought I might be getting in the way.”

Like before.

Irene swallowed those words before they could escape her throat.

Michael didn't respond to Irene’s words. Feeling even more awkward, she continued to speak.

“If only my rank were higher, but I’ll only take a long time to purify or heal… and if monsters show up, I’ll just be a burden.”

Perhaps it was because she was speaking in a fluster.

She ended up blurting out all the reasons she thought he had left her behind to enter dungeons alone in her past life.

At her words, Michael’s composed face contorted.

“Is that what you have been thinking?”

“…”

“It is not like that. I simply wanted you to…”

At that moment, the sharp sound of wind being sliced—shh-shik!—echoed from afar.

With a speed invisible to the eye, Michael drew his sword and swung it broadly through the air.

Clang!

Before Irene could even turn her head, there was a loud impact as something struck his sword and was deflected back.

Thud!

The object slammed into the wall with a dull sound.

“That’s…”

Irene saw the object embedded in the wall, quivering.

“A thorn?”

It was as long and thick as an adult woman's arm, but its shape was clearly that of a sharp thorn.

A moment later, from behind a nearby rock, a monster with several such thorns protruding from its body slithered out.

“Stay behind me.”

Michael stepped in front of Irene and spoke in a calm voice.

“I will finish this shortly.”

* * *

Good heavens.

Irene swallowed her shock.

His promise to finish shortly had been no idle boast.

‘Usually, clearing a mid-rank dungeon takes at least five hours, doesn’t it?’

But from the moment they defeated the first monster to standing before the Room of Reward, she was certain no more than an hour had passed.

Irene looked down at the corpse of a monster lying nearby.

It was one of the common monsters she had seen in the monster encyclopedia at the Archive. However, there was something different about it compared to the illustrations.

‘So this is a monster from an abnormal dungeon.’

Unlike monsters from regular dungeons, the creatures in an Unstable Dungeon had a subtly ‘unfinished’ appearance.

Parts of their bodies weren't attached properly, or their forms were blurry. They were incomplete things, as if someone had stopped halfway through a drawing.

Seeing in person what she had only heard about was simply fascinating.

“Irene.”

“Yes? Yes!”

At the sound of her name, Irene turned her head.

Right in front of the Room of Reward, Michael was waiting for her, having wiped the monster blood from his sword.

“I would like us to check the reward together.”

Irene tilted her head at Michael’s request.

This dungeon today wasn't one she had designated.

Therefore, the rewards here should all belong to him, so she couldn't understand why he was insisting they check them together.

Still, there was no reason to refuse.

‘It is quite fun, after all.’

Irene was only human, and opening a box when you didn't know what was inside was a heart-pounding experience.

Besides, she was curious about what kind of reward an Unstable Dungeon would yield.

Upon entering the room, they found a fairly large chest sitting in the corner.

“Wow…”

For Irene, who had only ever entered low-rank dungeons, this was the first time she had seen such a large chest.

Pacing around the chest, Irene looked back at Michael. When she looked at him as if asking why he wasn't opening it, he smiled and gestured toward it.

“Go ahead and open it.”

“But this belongs to you, Sir…”

“It is fine.”

He urged her to open it as if the chest already belonged to her.

Since she had no reason to decline, Irene knelt before the chest and carefully lifted the lid.

Inside the smoothly opening chest lay…

“…A ring?”

A very basic-looking ring was inside.

It was a circular silver band that looked as if a piece of raw metal had simply been cut before being shaped into a ring.

There wasn't a single gemstone set in it, nor was there any engraving.

Instead, the surface was covered in large and small scratches, as if it had been rolling around for ages.

Looking at the ring, which didn't seem like it would look any better even if it were cleaned, Irene muttered,

“Could something like this really be an artifact…?”