"We are all…gathered now." (Eugene)
I looked around at Sumire, Sara, Airi, and Claude as I muttered that.
Rita-san was flapping her wings lightly next to Claude.
"So, what now?" (Claude)
Claude's question was met with my short reply.
"It's hard to talk on the 100th floor. Let's move to the 300th first." (Eugene)
"""Eh!?"""
Everyone except Airi, who had already been told, voiced their surprise.
"The 300th floor!? What do you mean, Eugy-kun!?" (Sumire)
"Eugene, how did you even manage that!?" (Sara)
Sumire and Sara pressed for an explanation, but…
"I'll explain later… Though, will Rita-san not be able to come with us?" (Eugene)
"No no, I'll come along too-ssu yo. I've got nothing better to do anyway." (Rita)
Saying that, she wrapped her arms around Claude's neck.
(Come to think of it… These two were together, weren't they?) (Eugene)
"..."
"..."
Sumire and Sara looked like they wanted to say something.
I wondered what had happened between Leona and Teresia… Not exactly something I could ask in front of Rita-san.
We boarded the dungeon elevator, aiming for the 300th floor.
On the way, I gave them a brief rundown of the events in the Empire.
When I mentioned that the Empire had declared a ceasefire, Sara's face relaxed with relief.
As always, rising 200 floors felt like quite a distance, yet we arrived with almost no waiting time.
I barely even felt the acceleration.
When the doors opened, what lay before us was a beautiful flower field.
It was apparently the hobby of the angel who managed the 300th floor.
"Wow…" (Sumire)
"So pretty…" (Airi)
I heard Sumire and Airi murmur.
"Senpai! You here?" (Rita)
Rita-san called out, looking for the angel in charge of this floor.
But no response came.
"Hmm, probably slacking off. Hardly any explorers ever come as far as the 300th." (Rita)
"Well, that works in our favor. Let's talk here. Everyone, grab a seat." (Eugene)
"Grab a seat, you say." (Claude)
"There's nothing to sit on…" (Sara)
Claude and Sara looked puzzled.
Pop!
With a cute sound, an antique-looking set of chairs and a table appeared amidst the flowers.
"Ah! There's sweets too!" (Sumire)
"And this tea… Isn't this top-grade, imported from the West Continent?" (Airi)
Sumire and Airi seemed interested in the tea and snacks on the table.
"Eat as much as you want. It was created by that one with magic." (Eugene)
"That one?" (Sumire)
Sumire tilted her head.
"Anemoi! I know you're there!" (Eugene)
At my call…
…rumble rumble…
From right nearby, a young girl with blonde hair and a red robe emerged, averting her eyes.
""""!?""""
Sumire, Sara, Airi, and Claude hurriedly readied their weapons.
"It's fine. This is Anemoi…she's an ally." (Eugene)
When I said that, Sumire's face turned displeased.
"But! Because of her mistake, that red dragon was summoned to the surface, and the Principal… He died…" (Sumire)
"Eugy was sealed away because of that too! And you're saying to forgive her!?" (Airi)
Sumire and Airi closed in on me.
"I-I'm sorry…about that time…" (Anemoi)
The Dungeon Master mumbled awkwardly in a small voice.
If you're going to apologize, at least say it properly.
"Honestly! You think we can just forgive that so easily…?" (Sumire)
As expected, Sumire clearly hadn't forgiven her at all.
"Eugene." (Sara)
Sara's firm voice shifted the mood.
"Even if there's a ceasefire now…at best, it will last a few weeks. People are still dying while we sit here chatting. Tell us the reason you gathered us. It's something worth convincing me of, isn't it?" (Sara)
Her eyes were deadly serious.
Sumire and Airi fell silent.
Claude too looked at me with serious eyes.
Rita-san quietly stepped away from Claude.
"Alright. Then I'll talk about our objective." (Eugene)
I sat down on the nearest chair and looked at them all.
Sumire, Sara, Airi, and Claude…all their eyes were on me.
Especially Sara, who as a representative of the Holy Union had already seen countless deaths in this war. She had no room left for patience.
So I laid out the conclusion first.
"Our goal is the 500th floor of the Zenith Tower." (Eugene)
All of them looked baffled.
"Hey, Eugene. Isn't the 500th floor…" (Claude)
"That's what Sumire is aiming for in order to return to her world, right?" (Airi)
Claude's words were picked up by Airi.
"That's right." (Eugene)
I gave a short answer.
The completion reward of the 500th floor's Deus Discipline was the World Gate.
A divine artifact said to allow passage to another world.
In the past 500 years, only one person had reached it: the top Record Holder of the Zenith Tower, the legendary explorer Cristo.
With the World Gate, Sumire…who had come here from another world…would be able to return to her original one.
That was the goal behind Sumire and I challenging the Zenith Tower.
"Eugy-kun… I mean, aiming for the 500th floor is fine, but…right now isn't the time, don't you think?" (Sumire)
Sumire glanced between me and Sara as she said this.
Sara's expression remained severe.
"Eugene, don't tell me you're claiming you'll break through to the 500th floor in just a few weeks? I won't go along with such a fantasy. I'm grateful for the ceasefire, but if war breaks out again, I'll return to the Holy Union." (Sara)
"Of course, I have a winning plan. Please, just hear me out." (Eugene)
When I said that, Sara silently waited for my next words.
"You know the truth: only one person in 500 years has ever cleared the 500th floor. Not even Principal Uther managed it…it's the hardest dungeon in the South Continent. Clearing it in three weeks is impossible. But the structure of the Zenith Tower has changed. Anemoi, explain." (Eugene)
Everyone's eyes turned to the Dungeon Master.
"The Zenith Tower originally got harder as you went higher, taking longer and longer to conquer. For short-lived humans, reaching the 1000th floor was impossible… So now, the upper layers have been altered so that time itself flows more slowly. Here on the 300th floor, time runs at 1/300th the rate of the surface. That means even if you spend 300 days here, only a single day will pass on the surface." (Anemoi)
"Reverse Urashima Tarou!" (Sumire)
Sumire exclaimed with a shocked face, mentioning some name I didn't know.
"Sumire? Who's that?" (Eugene)
"Ah…well, that's…" (Sumire)
"It's an old tale from the world called Earth where Sumire-san came from. A tragic story about time flowing differently between the sea and the surface." (Rita)
Rita-san explained.
"Huh. So even in a world without magic, such stories exist." (Eugene)
I said, impressed.
"Well then, Eugy-kun! I will tell you about that some other time. That means here on the 300th floor, time flows slowly, so we can focus on the Tower without worrying about the war above. But won't people be bothered if they end up aging faster than everyone else outside?" (Sumire)
"Ah, good point. If you kept exploring, you'd end up getting older much faster than your classmates, right?" (Claude)
Claude agreed with Sumire's concern.
"No need to worry. Aging here is slowed down too. Live 300 days here, and your body only ages one day." (Anemoi)
""""!?""""
Everyone looked shocked at the Dungeon Master's words.
Even Rita-san was surprised?
"That's…incredible." (Claude)
"We can explore so much, Eugy-kun!" (Sumire)
"…Magic that extends human lifespan… No, that's practically a miracle." (Airi)
Claude, Sumire, and Airi spoke excitedly.
But Sara's face remained severe.
"So with three weeks of ceasefire above, that would give us over ten years here… But this is still just the 300th floor. Clearing 200 more floors to reach the 500th is unrealistic…" (Sara)
"That worry isn't needed. Now, the Zenith Tower allows challenges every 100 floors. Since Eugene cleared the 300th solo, if just one person in the party has cleared 300, the party can start from the 400th. Clear the 400th, and you can challenge the 500th next. Meaning, at the fastest, you could reach the 500th in just two battles." (Anemoi)
""""...""""
Everyone's eyes widened at Anemoi's words.
And little by little, I could see them realizing the possibility of reaching the 500th.
"Wait, Eugy!" (Airi)
Airi spoke up here.
"What is it?" (Eugene)
"You haven't told us the most important thing! Why aim for the 500th in the first place? Sure, I support Sumire wanting to go home, but Sara and I's priority is to stop the war! You promised to explain in a way I'd accept. Clearing the Tower won't stop a war!" (Airi)
Airi asked sharply.
"She's right, Eugene. I think you're speaking in roundabout ways on purpose…but it's time to tell us the truth. What's your real goal? I followed you because I believed you wanted to completely end the war…and stop any more grief from being born." (Sara)
Sara's straightforward gaze bore into me.
I nodded slightly.
"I understand. Don't worry. What I'm about to explain will definitely be good news for you two. But this is something I can only say once. Not again… Anemoi, it's safe to speak?" (Eugene)
I turned to the Dungeon Master who had been quietly listening.
"Yes. Don't worry. I've set multiple barriers over the 300th floor. Nothing from the Divine Realm or Hell can eavesdrop here." (Anemoi)
"Alright." (Eugene)
I had no choice but to trust that.
"Eugy-kun, the Divine Realm?" (Sumire)
Sumire looked curious, but I signaled her to wait. I couldn't keep Sara waiting any longer.
And then I spoke of the true purpose behind reaching the 500th floor.
"This plan was made by me, Anemoi here, and one other who gave us crucial advice. I want to stop the war between the Holy Union and the Empire…not just stop it, but prevent any further casualties. And with the reward of the 500th floor's divine gift, it's possible. That's what I was advised." (Eugene)
"A divine artifact for traveling worlds can do that…?" (Sara)
Sara asked doubtfully.
"No, Sara. That's not it. Because only one person in history ever reached the 500th floor 500 years ago, the proper use of the reward was never recorded. The World Gate…it doesn't just let you travel between worlds." (Eugene)
"Then… where does it let you go?" (Sara)
"Anywhere." (Eugene)
My words didn't spark an immediate reaction.
But I couldn't spell things out too much myself.
This plan had to be realized as something humanity discovered on their own.
If it became clear I received help, that would violate the Divine Realm Regulations.
"Wait… No way." (Airi)
Airi was the first to catch on.
"That's right, Airi. You figured it out?" (Eugene)
"Does that mean… I could save Father?" (Airi)
As expected. She reached that conclusion right away.
"M-Maybe…?" (Sumire)
Sumire also seemed to realize it.
Claude's eyes lit up with excitement…he had reached the same thought.
"…Eh? Huh?" (Sara)
Sara, who had been grim until now, suddenly looked dumbfounded.
Then she started pacing restlessly, looking around.
"T-That can't… That can't be allowed… The Goddess would never permit such a thing…" (Sara)
She muttered while biting her finger.
Sumire hugged her and shouted:
"Sara-chan! With the World Gate, we can go back to the past and stop the war!!!" (Sumire)
"..."
Sara's eyes widened as she looked at me.
I met her gaze and nodded firmly.
—Use the World Gate to go back in time and change history.
That was my plan.