Amelia and Ophelia: The Former Grand Duchess and Saintess.

As the party ventured past the initial chamber, they found that the dungeon they were mapping was now much more interesting than they had initially thought. Passing through the first door that appeared once they cleared the initial room brought them to a ruined hallway made of stone and caked with dirt and grim that covered the walls to the left but to the right, there were pillars that held up the ceiling and provided a massive view a vast cavern that they were not expecting at all. There was a massive ruined kingdom in the valley before them, it had a lot of buildings spanning the length of the cavern and in the center of it all was a circular wall that surrounded an inner city with a massive ruined castle at its center right below a massive whole in the top of the cavern that was covered with vines and greenery that provided the sunlight that was beaming straight down at the ruined kingdom. By the looks of it, they were on a cliffside that used to be part of a highway that led to the ruined kingdom below and this sight brought a sense of awe to the adventurers and the two caretakers who were experiencing this for the first time. 

"By the Gods....this is amazing" Granite remarked as he stood near the edge, looking down to see a see of dirt and trees that led straight towards the ruined kingdom in the distance. 

"This really is a Thematic Dungeon. This is truly a sight to behold" Mother Felice said with her hand covering her smile 

"Thematic Dungeon?" Granite asked as he and his company turned to the silver-haired caretaker 

"Ah! I believe that you were informed in your Adventurer training but that seems to be not the case" She replied to them as she turned to them 

"A Thematic Dungeon Mr. Granite is a special dungeon that the world makes from time to time. These dungeons are special as they usually contain specialized loot you can only claim here by fighting certain enemies, what's better as well is that there are stories within these dungeons" Sister Mary chimed in, elbowing her beloved for her words before stepping forward 

"I'm sorry, stories?" A burly man with a goatee by the name of Kurk asked as he looked at her 

"Yes, Stories. These dungeons tend to have a story within them, pertaining to events that happened here before we arrived, and if I remember correctly, there are also puzzles to be solved that require information from the stories being told here" The brown-haired caretaker answered 

"So like what? Is it part of history or something made entirely for this place?" Another burly man but this time with a pair of sideburns named Augustus asked 

"Ahhh, that is something we do not know for sure. Many who have ventured into these Thematic Dungeons with scholars and researchers can't tell whether this is some sort of forgotten history, recent history, or something else. All we know is that these dungeons are always a blast to explore and experience. Although it does come with the risk of being more dangerous and an increased chance of dying" Mother Felice answered this time around 

"Oooo, that is very interesting...I am glad we were assigned to do this then" Granite remarked with a smile as they all turned their gazes towards the ruined kingdom 

"It seems that our main goal is the kingdom in the distance. We will have a fight ahead of us to even get to the gates of the inner city" Mother Felice added as she analyzed the surrounding area of the cavern 

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's keep going! Don't forget to map the place along the way!" Sister Mary shouted with joy 

"Right! Granite's Company! Let's go adventure!" Granite shouted with glee 

"WOOOO!" His company replied as they followed him down the massive walkway and towards another door, with the two caretakers right behind them 

........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

As they entered through the other room, they found it to be a massive stairwell leading downwards. The walk down was a bit tedious as they walked for about twenty uninterrupted minutes, with Sister Mary and Mother Felice getting tired halfway down, jumping down much to the shock of Granite's Company who thought the two caretakers were fucking crazy as they jumped straight down who knows how many floors then landing without even as much as a scratch.  

"Uhhh...do we follow them Gran?" Armby asked with a concerned face  

"Ummm...no, no we just stick to walking for now" Granite nervously replied as he looked at his friend 

It took about another twenty minutes before Granite and his company arrived at the base of the stairwell. They saw the two women just sitting next to one another in a bench that they were 100% sure was pulled out from an item box by one of them as a bag of holding could not hold an object of that size as it would be too hard to get the damn thing inside in the first place. 

"Ummm....Ladies?" Granite asked as he looked a them 

"Oh! Already here are you...Right. Let's get a move on love" Mother Felice told her beloved sitting next to her, and kissing her head before she stood. up with her 

"Sorry, took a moment to relax a bit" Sister Mary apologized with a small nod that Granite returned, unsure of what to make out of it

"Oh no worries....next time....could we rely on you to bring us back up? I don't think we can take walking all those stairs again" Granite asked with a genuine tone, not hiding his worry about walking back up so many flights of stairs 

"Sure, we can help you with that" Mother Felice replied frankly, making the bald man's expression improve as he smiled with glee 

"Yay! Thank you very much Miss Felice! Truly a Goddess send" He added as he held up his hands in a small prayer position and bowed his head 

"Mhmm, no problems. Now let's get a move on" The silver-haired caretaker said as she gestured for them to go ahead of them 

"Of course! Let's go!" 

As the party continued forward, they followed the barely visible brick road that stretched from the stairwell they came from. The brick road had faded red bricks that were covered in weeds, grass, small branches, and other greenery that covered its once pristine surface. Along the road leading to the kingdom in the distance, they saw wagons filled with barrels and boxes that were cracked open and held nothing inside except for blooming flowers or patches of dirt, moss, and grime. Blue butterflies were a common sight for them, giving an almost peaceful vibe to the trip they were on as they continued down the path. 

"Hmmm...no bodies....assumed there would be some" Augustus remarked as they continued down the road 

"Well, I am sure we will soon...Though I would prefer not" Mother Felice said as she looked around 

{!} 

Suddenly, a storm of arrows was coming down upon them, who fired them was a mystery but the party had no time to think about that now as they saw the projectiles coming down 

"Break for cover!" Granite shouted as he made a break for a few crates on the side of the road 

The rest of his company did the same as they made a break for crates and barrels scattered around, even hiding behind an overturned wagon on the side. Meanwhile, Mother Felice and Sister Mary simply dodged the arrows coming their way, shifting their bodies ever so slightly to ensure the projectiles didn't even hit them, much to the amazement of the adventurers they were with. Once the arrows stopped, the adventurers peaked from cover and saw nothing and a small silence followed that was suddenly broken by the loud and deep cry of a warhorn.

{!} 

Then, appearing further down the road from in a pile of black sludge that spawned them was a group of over twenty Goblin Dragoons who were dressed in a mix of drab and dented plate armor and leather armor, with metal helmets made of scrap metal and wielding lances made of wood and iron held together by ropes fastened along the shaft and the head of the lance. They rode atop Horned-Wolves which were large enough for them to mount and tame and with their horns, provided some magical firepower. Some of the Goblin Dragoons were carrying lances that had a green banner fluttering from them. 

"What the fuck?! Goblin Dragoons?!" Granite remarked as he saw them appear from the black sludge 

"Damn, some high-end B-Class enemies...fucking hell" Armby added as he pulled out a bow holstered in his back and then began preparing arrows from his bag of holding and placing them inside his empty quiver 

"Company! Make sure those bastards don't get in close, hit em with your magic or arrows!" Granite commanded as he prepared to cast some fireballs 

As the adventurers began to prepare, the Goblin Dragoons let loose a high-pitched war cry before they began charging at the enemy before them, their lances facing forward and the Horned-Wolves firing off fireballs that exploded near the adventurers hiding behind cover. 

"Fire!" Granite commanded as he let loose several fireballs

At his command, the rest of his company let loose their own elemental spells and arrows. Lightning streams, earthen spikes, water spears and ice spears all flung towards the charging goblins, a few dodged the first set of earthen spikes before they died as ice spears impaled them and pinned them to the brick road while fireballs killed their mounts. Some arrows also found their mark but failed to penetrate the mix of plate armor and leather armor overlapping one another, others did penetrate and sent the goblins flying off their mounts. The wolves who did not get killed when their riders did were met with either an arrow or a fireball that killed them before they reached the adventurers. 

As the smoke cleared, none of the Goblin Dragoons and their mounts were left standing, their corpses scattered around the brick road before them. None of the charging goblins even made it halfway to them and that was impressive considering that they were shooting at targets smaller than usual monsters and moving at a much faster speed than usual. 

"Hmmm, impressive display Mr. Granite and Co, I was half expecting some of those goblins to reach you" Mother Felice said as she and her beloved walked forward 

"Pleased to have impressed you both, I am surprised myself, right guys?" Granite asked as he turned to his Company who agreed with him 

"Right, it seems that the dungeon is now sending out more dangerous enemies our way. Goblin Dragoons are rare high-ranking B-Class enemies, so I think it is safe to assume that the next foe we will be facing is A-Class and those you can leave to us" She added as she and her beloved led from the front while Granite's Company followed behind, with a few of them taking out scrolls to continue mapping the route 

Sure enough, as they continued down the brick road and were reaching the outskirts of the village closest to the stairwell, another war horn filled the air with its intimidating cry. The two caretakers stood their ground while Granite and his party moved to defensive positions, using the broken crates and overturned carts as cover, forming a semi-circle formation facing the sides and rear of the party while Sister Mary and Mother Felice kept their gazes forward to watch for anything. 

{!} 

As if on cue, another hail of arrows filled the air and was on their way toward them, but these arrows were different as all of them were on fire and burning with magic. Mother Felice put down a barrier that absorbed and dissipated the arrows long before they could even hit them. Then, appearing from the trees on either side in front of them were goblins clad in actually crafted and pristine-looking sets of plate armor while also wielding a halberd and a shield in each hand. The party had now encountered Goblin Knights a lower but still really rare A-Class enemy that would be troublesome to the B-Rank adventures of Granite's Company if they ever got close. At the same time however, another group of Goblin Dragoons were coming at them from the sides and rear, the party would be fully engaged this time around and there would be no mucking about. 

"Mr. Granite, we will leave the dragoons to you and your company, we will take care of the knights" Mother Felice said as she conjured forth a purple mace made of magic into her right hand and her staff in her left 

"Understood Miss Felice. Happy hunting" Granite replied without even looking back, his hands ready to dish out some fireballs 

"Good, stay safe on your end Mr. Granite, you and your company" Sister Mary added as she simply brought out a massive battle axe made from her shadow 

A few moments later, the goblins attacked in full force at once. The Goblin Knights charged at the two caretakers who charged back at them. Mother Felice dodged the thrust of the first knight before replying with a downward swing that crushed the skull of the knight and its helmet before she aimed her staff and fired off an <Ice Bolt> that froze then tore apart another knight charging at her. Sister Mary, on the other hand, was simply dodging attacks coming her way before she brought down her battle axe that cleaved the knights in two or used her shadow to devour knights who were out of her reach, she dodged another thrust from a knight behind her, and then looked it dead in the eye, using her <Domination Magic> that fully captured the mind of the Goblin Knight she then ordered to attack the others, creating confusion amongst the monsters as they wondered why one of their own was thrusting and slashing at them. 

"Ahh this is starting to get fun!" Mother Felice exclaimed as she dropped another knight with a lightning stream from her staff

"Truly a lovely warm-up" Sister Mary remarked as she blocked an incoming slash from a knight before replying with a slash of her own that tore through the knight's shield and armor, decapitating the monster 

Meanwhile, Granite and his company were busy firing off spells and arrows at the charging goblins and Horn-Wolves who were more numerous than they once believed. It was almost as if they kept respawning after each one that got killed, two more would take the place.

"Fucking hell! How many of them are there?!" Kurk shouted as he fired off another arrow that killed a goblin that almost got too close for comfort 

"Keep firing! They are sure to stop eventually!" Granite ordered as he fired off another barrage of fireballs that struck multiple goblins charging at them 

It was getting hectic as well with the two caretakers as both of them were wondering how many of these damn Goblin Knights were there. Mother Felice fired several more <Ice Bolt> attacks at several knights in front of her before clobbering another to death that got close to her side. Sister Mary also began just using her <Domination Magic> to turn those who spawned in against the others who would soon come to try and kill them. 

It was a hectic mess like this for around twenty minutes as they fought off wave after wave of enemy attackers, with weapons clashing against armor, the sounds of magical attacks going off and striking their targets, and the screams of dying goblins filling the air with their high-pitched cries of agony. The fighting was so fierce that it got to the point where several Goblin Dragoons finally got close enough that Granite and his party brought out their melee weapons and started swinging. But then, the respawning stopped and the remaining goblins turned into black sludge that then disappeared into the ground, acting as if it was never there. The corpses left behind were ripe for looting like the bodies before and Granite's Company went to work seeing what they could take from them, hides, pieces of armor, salvaging equipment for them to use on their own, with so many high-ranking B-Class and lower A-Class corpses lying about, it was an aspiring adventurers dream. 

"Hmmm...perhaps that was a survival test" Mother Felice remarked as she kicked a goblin corpse aside while walking back to Granite and his party, putting her weapons away in her item box 

"Perhaps it was love, was a fun one though, had a great time" Sister Mary said with a smile as the battle axe in her hand disappeared 

After waiting another ten minutes for Granite and his party to stuff all of their winnings inside bags of holding they placed inside the satchels on their backs. They continued down the brick road even further. Soon they reached the edge of the village that was to lead directly into the kingdom, but when they tried to step foot in it, an invisible barrier pushed them back, much to everyone's surprise. 

"Huh...a safety barrier" Mother Felice remarked as she tried several more times to break through it but to no avail 

"What is this?" Granite asked as he turned to the two caretakers 

"Well, this is a safety barrier. Dungeons usually have them to prevent understrength and inexperienced adventurers from going further into the dungeon. And it seems that this barrier is surrounding the whole kingdom by the looks of it" Sister Mary answered, using her shadows to poke and prod at the sides of the forest, seeing that they were all repulsed 

"Does that mean we are all understrength?" Granite asked with concern as he looked at them 

"By the looks of it yes. This is concerning as it means that whatever is inside the kingdom ruins is SS-Class in power and that alone is a dangerous beast" The silver-haired caretaker answered 

"So what do we do now?" Armby asked 

"We leave. We have gotten as far as the dungeon wants us to go and that is not so bad. We can come back on another date with a stronger party to get into the ruins. So for now, hold your heads high for being the first to explore a Thematic Dungeon" The brown-haired caretaker told them with a warm smile 

"I see, well...we will inform the guild then, and probably get the word out to get stronger adventurers if they wish to venture here" Granite said as he turned to his company 

"Pack it up boys, we heading home" He said with a small nod as he began to walk back towards the stairwell, with the company following straight behind  

While they were following Granite's Company out of the dungeon, the two of them shared once last glance back towards the kingdom ruins. A little unsettling feeling built up within them for only a moment before they shrugged it off. They could tell Amelia and Ophelia another time as they knew that their daughters were about to launch a campaign to finally unite the continent. That came first, the dungeon came later. As they walked side by side and arm in arm, the two mothers were very happy for this little adventurer away from home. 

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter featuring Mother Felice and Sister Mary! I hope you enjoyed the little story of theirs!