The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL]

See, the past few days sure felt like an eternity to several blondes, maybe one redhead, and a number of blue-haired blokes who’d somehow managed to survive several events even their ancestors probably could never have foreseen.

But if they were going to talk about challenging times filled with hard work and yearning, then there were actually others who’d suffered just as much after the sudden disappearance of their light and savior!

For those waiting on the other side, it felt like they’d been allowed to experience heaven for the briefest moment.

They’d practically inhaled all those delectable items, tasted things they hadn’t even known existed, and already started imagining what future market days might bring.

Only to get dragged straight back down to land when the next predicted merry day finally arrived.

Various beings gathered with fire in their hearts, eagerly waiting for that familiar connection to appear.

Except nothing happened.

Among the fierce women waiting by the gate, the first unsettled murmur of ”That wasn’t the last time, was it?” sounded so much like a terrible premonition that everyone who heard it practically wanted to wash those unlucky words straight out of the speaker’s mouth!

”Don’t say such ridiculous things!” someone immediately snapped, though the nervousness in her voice made it clear that she wasn’t nearly as confident as she wanted to sound. ”Surely that wasn’t the case! They’ll connect soon!”

”That’s right!” another quickly agreed, forcing what was supposed to be a reassuring grin. ”They’re probably just gathering more stock for us!”

That explanation sounded reasonable enough.

At least for the first few hours.

But as the agonizing wait stretched on and the entire day eventually passed without the gate budging even once, those confident assurances became considerably harder to maintain.

And they weren’t the only ones waiting.

Back inside the once-again desolate subterranean base, those anticipating the next connection were growing equally worried.

Still, they tried to remain optimistic.

Maybe the other party was busy. They had lives too, didn’t they?

Either way, there were plenty of perfectly reasonable explanations for the delay.

So they waited for the next possible opportunity.

And when that came around, they once again gathered near the gate with renewed hope.

Only to be greeted by the exact same silence.

But after getting even the smallest taste of something better, how could they possibly go back to simply sitting around and accepting whatever happened?

So instead of allowing that renewed determination to gradually fizzle out, some of them began considering significantly bolder options.

The Divine Heir stood before the silent gate, staring at its unmoving surface.

Admittedly, he could still feel that familiar pang he’d been trying so hard to ignore.

But rather than dwell on the possibility that their mysterious trading partner might never return, he forced his thoughts toward something far more useful.

What could they do?

Was there truly nothing except waiting?

The question hung over them until someone nearby suddenly spoke.

”Wouldn’t it be possible for us to initiate a trade ourselves?”

”?!”

Several heads whipped around.

Prince Rhydan’s eyes widened.

It was such a ridiculously simple idea that they somehow hadn’t considered it, perhaps because none of them had attempted such a thing in so long.

But the moment it was said aloud, the effect was immediate.

Those who’d looked increasingly dejected only moments earlier straightened, their expressions changing as if someone had suddenly breathed life back into them.

Because this wasn’t merely wishful thinking.

It was possible.

There really was a way for them to attempt establishing contact from their side!

__

However, just because such a method existed didn’t necessarily mean it was viable for them.

After all, how were people who weren’t exactly in a position to sell anything supposed to initiate a trade when practically all they had left was CP with absolutely nothing to spend it on?!

Then again, what they didn’t know was that the money-grubber on the other side had practically been built with the soul of a hoarder and would’ve been delighted by almost anything!

Those corpses they kept ignoring because none of them considered the things particularly valuable?

Had they thought to list even one, a certain golden-eyed vendor probably would’ve celebrated before personally brushing the thing clean!

Unfortunately, hindsight was always twenty-twenty.

And at that moment, none of them were thinking about how much their mysterious trading partner might’ve appreciated what they considered useless. They were far more concerned about accidentally offending the vendor they were desperately trying to locate.

Several people huddled together, putting their heads together as they tried to brainstorm anything remotely suitable for a listing.

Something useful.

Something valuable.

Something that wouldn’t make the other party immediately regret ever establishing contact with them!

Yet the longer they discussed it, the more hopeless their situation started to look.

Unless, of course, they were willing to commit something as atrocious as selling back the empty glass bottles they’d been carefully hoarding.

”No.”

”Absolutely not.”

”We’re not doing that.”

The suggestion was rejected so quickly that the poor soul who’d brought it up didn’t even get the chance to defend himself.

They might’ve been reduced to a fallen dominion, but that didn’t mean centuries upon centuries of cultivated manners had disappeared along with everything else!

Returning someone’s own bottles and presenting them as merchandise?

How utterly shameless!

Eventually, after another round of increasingly desperate suggestions went nowhere, someone finally asked in exasperation, ”Is selling something really the only way for us to establish communication?”

That made a few people pause.

”How was it before?” another person asked offhandedly, turning toward one of the nearby guards. ”I don’t remember it being this difficult. Back then, we could even beat the others by crushing their finishing times.”

The guard sighed as memories of considerably livelier days resurfaced.

”Yeah. We’d even camp right in front of the gate sometimes, because just when you thought you’d already beaten their time, those idiots would come back and challenge the score again. Then you’d be stuck there because obviously you couldn’t just leave without doing it faster.”

”Exactly!” someone chuckled. ”My pride just couldn’t take it, so I’d always have to—”

He stopped.

”?”

Why had everyone gone quiet?

The speaker slowly looked around and realized that the people who’d previously been busy with their own discussions were now staring directly at him with widened eyes.

Even the Divine Heir had gone completely still before his expression changed.

Rhydan’s mind suddenly seemed to race through countless possibilities before landing on one they’d somehow overlooked this entire time.

”Wait.”

The leader of an essentially lost civilization abruptly stood.

”!”

Then, without another word, he rushed straight toward the gate.

Several others scrambled after him, hope surging back with enough force that some of them nearly tripped over one another in their hurry.

Of course!

How had they forgotten?!

Trading hadn’t been the only way to establish connections through the gate before. There’d been that too!

If they could initiate one of those, then perhaps the connection they had been waiting for could finally be triggered from their side!

For the first time in days, success suddenly felt right within their grasp.

The Divine Heir hurriedly accessed the familiar interface, fully prepared to select something suitable before stopping dead in his tracks.

He stared at the displayed information.

Then stared some more.

Behind him, several Celestari nearly crashed into one another as they waited for their leader to do something.

Instead, the suddenly befuddled Divine Heir slowly turned his head.

”E?”

Everyone froze.

His expression became one of complete disbelief.

”Their difficulty level is set at E?!”