This Dungeon Grew Mushrooms

After a nearby elf discreetly poked Galadriel at the waist, she finally came back to her senses. She quickly adjusted her demeanor and exchanged a few words with the delegation led by Inanna, speaking about their journey and offering polite, ceremonial greetings. Her phrasing was impeccable, leaving nothing to fault.

Only after she returned to her chamber high within the royal court, closed the heavy carved wooden door, leaned against it, and shut her eyes did she try to recall the meeting from moments earlier. To her surprise, her impressions of the delegation members were almost entirely blank.

Even the striking pink-haired girl, Inanna, left little impression beyond that vivid hair color.

Instead, the image that stood out with unusual clarity was that of the four-sword puji, the one she had only glanced at briefly at the start and then lost sight of during her conversation with Inanna. Its presence lingered stubbornly in her mind.

How strange…

Although puji culture had recently become fashionable within the Elven Forest, Galadriel herself had never felt particularly drawn to it.

In fact, whenever she saw Eko with a puji perched atop his head, maintaining a solemn expression, she had to exert real effort to keep her own face composed.

She had never once considered raising a puji herself.

So why was she so concerned about that one puji?

That puji carried four swords and was clearly no ordinary specimen. It was likely, like Number One, a member of the mushroom folk.

Was it simply curiosity, sparked by seeing a mushroom folk individual that wielded swords as weapons for the first time?

Galadriel gently shook her head and, for the time being, classified this inexplicable concern as mere curiosity.

Diplomatic exchanges were never concluded overnight. At the very least, a full week of discussions and adjustments would be required. Both the Kingdom and the Elven Forest had their own expectations for future cooperation.

On the Kingdom’s side, there was a strong desire for the elves to dispatch a group of mages highly skilled in magic arrays and barrier techniques to assist in constructing the critically important new defensive line.

With their long lifespans and accumulated arcane knowledge passed down through generations, elves possessed an advantage in building large-scale defensive systems that humans simply could not match.

The Elven Forest, meanwhile, focused its attention on the Hero. They hoped the Kingdom would at least share basic information regarding the current Hero and allow elves to provide assistance where possible, perhaps even permitting some elves to join the Hero’s party.

This would serve two purposes: first, to evaluate the new Hero’s character, and second, to establish early contact and cultivate an initial bond of trust.

Though the idea of “building rapport” sounded somewhat naive, history showed it to be surprisingly effective.

Heroes summoned from other worlds naturally felt a stronger affinity toward the human faction, but their allegiance was rarely fully cemented at the moment of summoning.

Early, sincere support often influenced their eventual stance, preventing them from becoming nothing more than a single faction’s ultimate weapon.

In truth, summoned Heroes were rarely malicious by nature. If not for the actions of Hero Link three hundred years ago, the elves and dwarves would not harbor such deep hostility toward Heroes.

Now, with no power to prevent the rise of a new Hero, the elves naturally wished to return to their original approach: forging connections rather than standing in opposition.

The problem, however, was that the Kingdom itself had lost contact with the Hero.

Samuel, the priest accompanying Sophia, communicated exclusively with the High Archbishop.

Given the immense implications surrounding the Hero, he trusted no one but the High Archbishop, not even the dukes.

Duke Brennus’s betrayal only reinforced that caution.

Thus, after learning of the High Archbishop’s death, the Hero’s party made the decision, after internal deliberation, to sever reliance on the Kingdom and continue their training independently.

While this made acquiring supplies more difficult, it also avoided certain potential dangers.

As a result, the Kingdom no longer knew the Hero party’s exact situation, only their general area of activity.

Under such circumstances, even if Sophia were located, it would be difficult for the Kingdom’s own envoys to integrate into the Hero’s group, let alone for the elves to insert their own people.

This issue became the central point of contention within the delegation.

However, the finer details of the negotiations had little to do with Inanna or Galadriel. Dedicated negotiators on both sides handled the discussions, leaving them free from involvement.

In fact, while arguments downstairs in the main hall grew increasingly heated, the two of them could sit together in the palace garden, sipping tea, chatting, and playing with puji.

Inanna was genuinely surprised at how smoothly the elves had accepted puji.

Recalling how humans had gone through multiple conflicts with puji before finally achieving coexistence through concessions from their leader, the elves’ harmonious acceptance deeply moved her.

Galadriel, however, was focused on the puji called Fourteen.

For some reason, Fourteen had recently preferred to stay alone, even avoiding Inanna’s embraces.

“Fourteen is really amazing with a sword,” Inanna said, her tone filled with sincere admiration and pride. “On the way here, it single-handedly wiped out a group of cultists lurking near the Scarecrow Abyss. It was incredible.”

“A puji that strong…” Galadriel murmured softly. “You’re making me want to try holding it myself.”

Inanna’s eyes immediately lit up, as though she had found a kindred spirit.

“Then let’s go find it!” She grabbed Galadriel’s hand and started pulling her along, sharing tips as they walked. “Fourteen is just a bit shy. The first time I held it, it struggled a lot too. But puji are all like that. If you scratch the right spot, they become very obedient!”

“Except Number Ten,” Inanna added with a hint of regret.

Meanwhile, the Sword Saint puji stood quietly at the edge of a terrace. Its perception stretched past the palace spires and corridors, settling on the ancient colossal tree at the center of the courtyard.

Beneath that tree’s roots lay the resting place of the elven king, Aurel.

Elvian felt a wave of emotion.

By all accounts, Aurel could be considered half a mentor to him.

Though described as being in his twilight years, that “twilight” likely surpassed the entire lifespan of an ordinary human.

In the past, Elvian had occasionally wondered who would reach the end first, himself or Aurel.

He never expected that within half a year, both would die one after the other. Rounding up, it was almost as if they had died at the same time.

The difference was that he had been reborn as a puji through the means of some entity whose nature was still unclear, while among the mushroom folk, there was no one named Aurel.

As he sighed at the unpredictability of fate, his fungal body suddenly trembled slightly, and a strong sense of unease surged within him.

Elvian was a Sword Saint. Sometimes, instinct was even more reliable than qi perception.

The Sword Saint puji immediately prepared to move away, but eight tentacles suddenly wrapped tightly around its body.

“Number One, Number Four, what are you doing?” it demanded.

The two puji clung to it firmly.

“We don’t know either! The Mycelial Lord told us to do this!”

“Little Fourteen, don’t struggle. The Mycelial Lord surely has a deeper purpose!”

What is going on?

The Sword Saint puji could not make sense of it, yet the ominous feeling in his heart only grew stronger.

He trusted his instincts more.

Just as he prepared to forcefully break free, a cheerful voice rang out from nearby, perfectly confirming his unease.

“Found you! So this is where you three were hiding and playing! Galadriel, come on, I’ll teach you the best way to hold a puji!”

When four hands reached for his fungal body, a moment of clarity flashed through Elvian’s mind.

There was no doubt about it.

The Lord of Puji was evil.