"Then you shall depart the day after tomorrow. As for the accompanying personnel..."

Even though the dungeon posed little danger, the king—who cherished Aelia as both daughter and the Messiah Kingdom’s most precious treasure—still wished to send a large escort, just in case.

But Aelia *wanted* that "just in case." How could she let him succeed? She interjected at once:

"Regarding this, I wish to bring only General Charles and my personal maid, Elise."

In truth, this was already Messiah Kingdom’s all-star lineup—the nation’s strongest fighters. The only drawback? Fewer people meant higher risk of mishaps.

The king hesitated. A standard Heroic Party usually had only a few members, and this dungeon was the kind even an unranked Heroic Saintess could clear effortlessly. He approved.

"Hero, you must protect Aelia at all costs."

"Understood. I will ensure Lady Aelia’s safety."

*(But if someone brings trouble upon themselves… well, that’s another story.)*

Luke chuckled inwardly.

*(Yes!)*

Aelia’s heart swelled with quiet delight.

Especially after the meeting—seeing Luke brimming with eager anticipation yet visibly nervous, like a teen on his first date—her amusement deepened.

*This young lady simply adores toying with such innocent, pure-hearted boys.*

Even Elise, upon learning the plan later, grew thrilled.

"Lord Luke, this is your chance to redeem yourself! Shine in the labyrinth, and I’m certain Lady Aelia will see you anew!"

Luke genuinely shared her enthusiasm… though their reasons diverged slightly.

"Worry not—we’ll arrange moments for you two to be alone," Charles added smoothly. (Privately, he already pictured his own time with Elise.)

Aelia had no desire to be truly alone with Luke. She wanted the *appearance* of solitude—with Elise and Charles secretly watching from afar.

That way, any humiliation Luke suffered would spread without her speaking a word, preserving the Saintess’s dignity while achieving her goal. Perfect.

*(How beautifully schemed.)*

At last, after endless waiting, departure day arrived.

"May the Saintess and Hero achieve glorious victory!"

Ever theatrical, the king sent a full ceremonial guard for such a minor mission. Nobles and officials trailed them all the way to the dungeon instance entrance.

"Go, Lady Aelia!"

"Saintess, you’re the best in the world!"

*(Naturally. Praise me more.)*

Waving gracefully, Aelia only stepped into Dungeon Instance No. 5 with the others after soaking in ample cheers.

Rated Class C, this dungeon demanded caution from novice Novice Saintesses but posed little threat to veterans. In Hero terms? Any Lower Rank Hero could stroll through it.

The catch: adventurers had cleared sixty percent already. With little loot left, the kingdom hadn’t sent troops to secure it—monsters still roamed freely.

Hidden dangers?

Aelia had scouted it two nights prior. Confidently: none. Even the labyrinth’s boss was small fry.

*But that was before.*

After two days of meticulous preparation, she was ready. No—she’d waited long enough.

"This way," Aelia said, unfolding the map and pointing.

The others had studied it too; no objections followed.

At the fake fork, Elise promptly suggested:

"How about we split up here?"

"Why?" Luke feigned confusion.

"This drill is for you two. We’re here just in case—but these monsters?" She glanced at the Rank F slimes lingering nearby. "Even untrained adults handle them."

"We’ll go ahead and wait at the end," Charles said briskly. (Every moment alone with Elise counted.)

"Alright."

Flaws abounded—easy to challenge. But Elise had briefed Luke, and the pink-haired, scheming Saintess beside him radiated impatient eagerness. Luke held his tongue.

Thus, four hearts harboring separate schemes split into two groups, vanishing into slime-filled paths.

*(I’ve won!)*

Inside the scheming Saintess’s mind, her tiny avatar struck a triumphant pose.

At the path’s end, the Super Ultimate Slime King—painstakingly cultivated and enhanced by her—advanced. An SS-rank monster, immune to magic and physical attacks. Even she’d struggle to escape its grasp.

Moments after they entered the cavern, Elise activated a stealth spell on the other path, guiding Charles to follow while using the elves’ Farsight magic to observe.

Aelia already pictured that damn Hero’s utter disgrace.

"Lord Luke, what were the slimes like outside?"

*(First, distract him. Lure him into boasting.)*

"Slightly stronger, but not much. The strongest Slime King I’ve seen was Rank B—traits nearly identical to Rank F slimes. A little caution suffices…"

Predictably, Luke lit up. He rambled on like an otaku discovering a fellow anime fan—flooding her with obscure jargon, oblivious to her fading patience.

Aelia maintained a curious smile, encouraging him… until a massive shadow loomed within five meters.

"What is that?"

She pointed with feigned shock while silently dispelling the deflection spell she’d cast. Designed so only Elise and Charles (watching remotely) could perceive it—Luke saw and sensed nothing. To highlight his incompetence in combat *and* danger awareness.

By the time Luke reacted, it was too late.

The Super Ultimate Slime King expanded its gelatinous bulk—and simply passed *over* him.

*(Huh? Passed over? Not swallowed? What are you doing, Super Ultimate Slime King?! The enemy’s right there!)*

Before Aelia could finish her mental shriek, the slime reached her, jaws gaping—

—and swallowed her whole.