It's Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

* * *

Early in the morning of the fourth day, three days after arriving at Mozakar, the mining village where the Claimel family was hiding, we decided to depart for Sonyataf.

“I’m counting on you with Ran, Axe.”

-Clunk!

We decided to leave Axe at Ran’s dungeon.

He would send the nobles we had crammed in here through dungeon-to-dungeon gate transfer, and afterwards, he had to guard Ran’s dungeon and help her growth.

Given the aspects she had shown, this was an investment that would return great profits.

“Focus on your growth that you’ve been postponing for a while. Axe will help with organizing the surroundings.”

“I am grateful for my lady’s ocean-like grace. This Ran will grow quickly and become a woman who does not hold back my lady.”

When I said that before leaving Ran’s dungeon, the two-tailed fox yokai Ran bowed deeply again with eyes that looked like they might shed tears.

Whatever her original personality, that bow was still heartfelt.

“The important thing is that there must be no breaking of your heart.”

“That will never happen. The most important heart to me is my love for my lady…!”

“I see… I look forward to what you will bring.”

I ended up having to grab her hand to raise her as she had no intention of getting up, and I had to arrange her clothes again.

…She’s not doing this on purpose, right?

“Who’s your lady, your lady…”

-Tack.

I restrained Xue who was exuding disgust and Eve who was showing displeasure with a look, then after recovering Eve and the troops back into the shadows, I left Ran’s dungeon.

From here to Sonyataf, the western gate of the Kingdom of Heisen, was a distance of not even two days by carriage.

Those following me as I left Mozakar were Eve and Xue, and about half of the troops I had when leaving the dungeon.

“You mustn’t try to eat people when you see them.”

“What do you think I am?”

…And the blonde vampire Serica, and two maids serving her.

* * *

“Rita!”

“Serica. I’m surprised you came in person.”

“Of course I had to come! You said you found my core!”

I reunited with Serica less than an hour after contacting her through Xue.

She was in such a hurry that she came directly to Ran’s dungeon, so I had to come out personally to receive her on this side too.

Serica I saw again like that…

“You’ve gained a lot of weight.”

She had a much healthier face compared to before.

Right after losing the dungeon core, she had become very thin due to overloading her power, but now she had gained appropriate cheek fat, should I say she had acquired cuteness befitting her appearance?

“What?! I’ve gained weight?! Really?! That’s not good!”

“I mean you’ve become much cuter.”

“Ah… Really? Hehe.”

Serica, who laughed carelessly, seemed to have brightened up as much as she had become healthier.

I had thought she might not be treated well in her family since she’s an illegitimate child, but was there no such incident as I thought?

Or is there another reason I don’t know about?

“What’s this? Why is this dungeon so poor? It’s not your dungeon.”

“It’s the dungeon of someone I took in due to circumstances.”

“Ah… Is that so? Looking again, the simplicity looks nice!”

“…”

When I emphasized ‘my person’, she quickly changed her opinion about Ran’s dungeon, so it seems she shows intention of wanting to be close to me, but.

Hmm. There’s no basis for now.

“My lady. This young lady is…?”

“Ran. Greet her. This is Serica, the youngest of Marquis Baritra’s family.”

“Hello! Are you this dungeon’s owner? Then you must be Rita’s maid? Let’s get along well.”

“…Hello. I’m called Yuran.”

When Serica greeted brightly and stretched out her hand, Ran looked at me once before grasping that hand.

She was still smiling, but for me who knew her face when looking at me, it was a face with some sense of dissonance.

‘Does she dislike her?’

Considering how she treated me, is she jealous?

She has cute aspects too.

“Anyway, you said you found my core?”

“It’s still just a possibility, but… Yes. I did find a clue.”

Serica, who had finished greeting like that, approached me and casually interlocked her fingers, then spoke while swinging her arms back and forth.

She really didn’t look like she had received any emotional wounds from others.

…But just because she’s not hurt doesn’t mean she can be considered loved.

“You seem to be adapting well in your family.”

“What adaptation! I’m dying of boredom. It’s all about manners and education every day. I told you in our communications too!”

Yes. You did tell me.

But you never once talked about other ‘beings you’ve become close to’. There were occasional stories about maids, but.

“You’ll have to quickly gain what you need to learn to live as a noble in the short term.”

“I know that too. But…”

Serica suddenly looked somewhat gloomy.

The arms that had been swinging back and forth to show happiness had become docile at some point.

I opened my mouth before that silence became awkward and stroked her head.

“You’ll do well. Like you’ve done so far.”

“…Yeah.”

“You’ve become much prettier than before even now. Both your gait and your face.”

“Really? Have I really become pretty?”

“Of course.”

“Hehe. Ah, that’s right.”

Serica, who was gradually brightening up and smiling, suddenly frowned as if something had occurred to her and returned to the main topic.

“We need to talk about the dungeon core.”

“That’s right.”

“Where is it? Is it far from here?”

“About two days’ distance, I think. It would take a little over five days to go there and return here.”

“Oh…!”

Serica, whose eyes sparkled as she let go of my hands, seemed to be asking something of her maid.

Mixing whining and insistence.

Though the maids made troubled faces, they eventually nodded and one of them disappeared beyond the gate.

Is she going to report something?

What that report was about, I could know right away.

“Can I go with you too?”

“You? Don’t you have a lot to study?”

“I just got permission!”

It seems like she didn’t get permission but went to get it.

I was troubled by her attitude that seemed to believe her opinion would absolutely be accepted, but I didn’t particularly have anything to oppose.

Serica is a powerful talent who can become a high-rank Dungeon Lord on her own. If I take her along, safety will improve.

That is, if she follows control well.

“If you listen to me well, I’ll take you.”

“Really?! I’ll listen well!”

“But if you don’t listen, I’ll punish you.”

“Pun… I don’t like punishment.”

“What will you do?”

Serica pondered for a moment with her finger on her lips, then eventually nodded with a not completely bright face.

“I will. Don’t give me anything too painful.”

“I’ll have to think about that.”

“Aaang! You don’t like me being in pain either!”

Serica clings to me while doing something between lovely whine and tantrum.

“Alright. I’ll use weak ones. Let’s go together.”

“Yay!”

While pondering for a moment why this child shows such familiarity to me, I accepted her too.

This was the reason Serica came to accompany me.

* * *

“There’s an unfamiliar girl by my lady’s side…”

There was a woman fully revealing her jealousy in a corner while watching Serica freely clinging to Libertas.

None other than this dungeon’s lord and Rita’s first subordinate Dungeon Lord, Yuran.

“There wasn’t a child like that before…? What’s going on…? That little one?”

-Tack (You’re finally looking this way)?

“She changed her hair color and acts coy… I thought her real personality had changed too… But she’s still the same…”

Those beside her were Rita’s vassals Eve and Xue.

“That’s not what’s important!”

-Clatter (Because I’m by her side, master’s stabilization happened quickly). Tack (More work was needed).

“So that’s why that child is clinging? Then this is bad…!”

“Stop making a fuss… The master’s forces have increased. Be happy…”

However, unlike Yuran, those two still seemed indifferent. They knew that their master’s treatment of Serica wasn’t going beyond the level of a ‘close younger sister’.

It might go beyond that someday, but at least not right now.

All they had to do was just be happy that their master’s influence had increased.

Yuran didn’t agree with that opinion.

“It’s good for you who’ve been here longer! Ran has just gotten a chance to catch my lady’s eye…! Rivals will keep increasing from now on…! There’s no way everyone will leave such a charming person as my lady alone!”

-Clatter (That’s true).

“I agree with that… But what can you do about it…?”

The two nodded as if agreeing that Libertas is charming. Among those two, Xue raised one eyebrow and expressed doubt to Ran.

“…I’ll quickly catch my lady’s eye. I’ll definitely sleep with her quickly.”

And that answer was something hard for the two to imagine.

-Tack!

“Didn’t you forget… we agreed not to make advances until everyone gathers…?”

“Hmph. This is why loyal dogs are…”

“What are you saying… you sly fox…”

Ran snorts and looks down on Xue.

The two didn’t have a very good relationship from the past.

They gathered due to feelings for one person, but the concentration and direction of those feelings towards that person, as well as their positions, were different, and there were personality differences too.

Nevertheless, there was some bond between them due to something. A bond close to love-hate.

That was revealed directly in Ran’s next tone.

“What does that matter? If master’s first is going to be taken by a woman other than you, I won’t care about promises or anything. I’d rather die than that. It’s the same for you too, isn’t it?”

“Uh… Hmm.”

Xue also had nothing to say to those words spat out while grinding teeth, filled with jealousy and anger.

Those words of hers received unexpected agreement.

-Tack (I agree with that).

“Evangeline?”

“Yes. You would too, wouldn’t you.”

From Evangeline who had been the most quiet.

However, Ran nodded while giving a hollow laugh. As if she had expected such agreement from her from the beginning.

Because she had psychological evidence that Evangeline would naturally be like that.

“Because you pretend to be quiet but were the first to climb onto the hearth before anyone else.”

-Clatter clatter (That wasn’t my intention. I wasn’t in a position to care about such things).

“…Anyway, Ran will absolutely not watch that sight. You do as you like. My lady-!”

After saying that, Ran quickly moved away and wedged herself between Serica and Libertas, and the two people saw the sight of her narrowing her eyes seductively and coyly while clinging.

“Tsk… But Evangeline…”

Xue, who was watching that scene while clicking her tongue, cautiously looked at Evangeline’s expression and opened her mouth.

Because there was something in Ran’s words earlier that made her curious.

“Will you really do that…?”

-Clatter (No). Tack tack (If I openly push, I’ll clearly be pushed away, so why would I do that)?

“Aha.”

That answer was quite surprising.

Words too cunning to believe she always stubbornly guards Libertas’s side like a knight.

However, Xue only let out an exclamation of admiration, not looking as surprised as expected.

“You were originally this kind of child. I had forgotten…”

-Tack (Anyway, she’s someone who values ‘firsts’ highly, so there’s no need for me to be hasty about my feelings).

There was a reason for Evangeline’s composure.

She knew well that Libertas values the ‘first soldier’ and ‘the first person kept by her side’ more than anyone else, so she knew she wouldn’t withdraw her attention even if she looked at others.

She knew that was the same for ‘first mercenary’ or ‘first Dungeon Lord’ too…

But she knew that none of those were valued more than ‘the first person kept by her side’.

-Clatter (Above all, the master’s embrace is wide).

“That’s true… Wait.”

Xue also seemed to have reached that thought, nodding her head before realizing something and grinding her teeth.

“Then… if Ran pushes forward like that… doesn’t that mean my situation becomes urgent…?”

-Clatter (It might).

“What do you mean it might… I’ll have to think about it…”

Xue’s eyes, revealing her fangs while biting her nails, followed the figures of Ran and Serica.

Though she didn’t show it much outwardly, Xue also wanted to occupy as many of Libertas’s ‘first’ titles as possible.

She couldn’t be satisfied with just ‘first mercenary’ or such.

‘It’s not good to rush.’

Despite their attitudes, Evangeline was still relaxed. Even with her arms folded.

Because.

‘Master is probably realizing we love her now and preparing for conversation, so there’s nothing good about complicating that preparation.’

She was accurately guessing Libertas’s current state.

And above all…

‘I’ve already gained favor once, so there’s no reason I can’t gain it twice.’

She had experience.

The experience of rising from the position of the most unwanted summon to the most favored position.

However, there was one thing even she knew but failed to consider.

‘…Eve is always in the back.’

That was the fact that in the end, Eve was the one Libertas was most concerned about right now.

Although it was attention created by the convergence of complex reasons, it was true that she was the most concerned.

‘Surely I… No, that can’t be…? Could it really be…?’

And that was scheduled to return as feedback that Evangeline hadn’t expected.