Shadows of the Past
The Demon Realm of Hell Dream was divided into seven Archduke territories. Much like the Tumanist Empire, the high and mighty Archdukes each ruled over their respective territories. At first glance, the seven Archdukes seemed to be the highest authorities, but that was only half-true. On paper, the 72 Dungeon Lords reigned supreme over all non-human races. Since the 72 Dungeons were the very origin of the Demon Realm, with a history spanning over a thousand years, they were considered a sacred, inviolable domain. Of course, that was only in theory; their prestige had waned significantly since the founding of the Empire. Nowadays, the seven Archdukes could easily shrug and say, "So what?" even to the lower-ranking Dungeon Lords.
Well, it doesn't really affect me, though.
The Archdukes' authority only carried weight with bosses ranked outside the top twenty. It was a meaningless authority to someone like me, who had become the Lord of one of the Mugan 7 Palaces. But well, none of that really mattered. The 72 Dungeon Meeting itself was treated as sacred, and hosting it was a symbolic and immense honor for any Archduke territory. For that reason, the meeting had rotated fairly among the seven Archduke territories seven times before being postponed indefinitely.
"Kirik. The air is different here-dak. But it is fine-dak. The more I breathe it, the more I like it-dak."
The 8th 72 Dungeon Meeting, resuming after a hundred years. With only one day left before the event, we arrived in the Demon Realm through the merchant guild's portal. Sanjiva, which could be considered the capital in terms of sheer scale, was the Archduke territory hosting this meeting. We had come a day early to scout the city's layout and get some rest before tomorrow's meeting.
"Charlotte. Are you breathing alright?"
"Yes. Since I am a Demone, I seem to be fine."
The oxygen in the Demon Realm was fundamentally different from what normal humans considered oxygen. Rather than giving life to a human, it was closer to a toxic gas that would choke the life out of them. But that was only for humans. Balutak, being an insectoid, was perfectly fine. Fortunately, evolving into a Demone granted a mana-breathing organ that could substitute for oxygen. Thanks to this, Charlotte could breathe using the mana stored in her body without needing oxygen at all. Even if her internal mana ran dry, Balutak's backpack was stuffed to the brim with mana potions, so there was little cause for concern. However, while breathing through mana was possible, the toxic oxygen still posed a physical threat. To counter this, Charlotte wore a gas mask that completely blocked out the air, covering only her nose and mouth without the need for goggles.
"It suits you well."
"...Thank you."
With the gas mask and her hooded robe, she looked like a heroine straight out of a post-apocalyptic novel.
"Still, I am somewhat concerned. I wonder if the merchant guild will guard the dungeon properly."
"Do not worry yourself. We came here to relax."
If it were just the merchant guild, I might worry, but since the Archduke's territory was co-sponsoring the defense, there was no need to fret. The dispatched forces alone ranged from Level 50 to Level 70, making them highly reliable. The Demon Realm's city was a harmonious blend of pale purple and deep black. To an undead like me, a child of darkness, it felt just as cozy as being back in my dungeon.
"Kirik. The Demon Realm is dark in color-dak. It is like a dungeon-dak."
For Balutak, who had lived in a vibrant, colorful forest, the gloomy scenery seemed more bothersome than the air. But while the color palette was dark, the city's structure and system were remarkably similar to the Empire's. I already knew this, having seen it countless times in the game. There were restaurants, blacksmiths, and clothing shops scattered everywhere. As we entered the plaza, a grand fountain and a towering clock tower boasted their magnificent presence. They called this place a non-human hellscape, but the visuals didn't match the terrifying name at all. Far from barbaric, it was simply a city with a dark color scheme. It felt like a post-apocalyptic city, which carried its own unique romance. Since the non-human races possessed human-like intelligence, they had managed to build such a progressive marvel.
"Sniff, sniff. Hm? Isn't that a human over there?"
"Huh? What? I think you're right. Why is there a human in Sanjiva?"
Contrary to my hopes, relaxing wasn't going to be easy. Since the plaza was already crowded, the surrounding gazes quickly converged on Charlotte. We had managed to conceal her appearance, but we couldn't fool the keen noses of the non-humans. Trying to hide a human in the heart of the Demon Realm was like trying to cover the sky with a palm. Sensing the stares, Charlotte's shoulders tensed. It was pitiful to watch her pull her hood down tightly, even though she couldn't possibly hide her scent.
"You have done nothing wrong. Stand tall."
I patted her shoulder reassuringly.
"You did not come here as an ordinary human. You came as the Deputy of the Tomb of Faith. Walk with confidence."
"...Thank you."
"And Balutak."
"Kirik?"
"Make the scariest face you can while we walk. Scare them so much they won't even dare look our way."
"Kiririk. Understood-dak. Kreeeech!"
With a bizarre screech, his face contorted into a terrifying expression. As expected of the future Insect King and a DLC boss, his appearance was fearsome enough to make even a demon break a sweat.
"Gasp."
"What's with that insectoid? What is wrong with his face?"
"Hey, hey, don't look. You'll pick a fight."
More than half of the stares directed at us instantly vanished. Did that boost his pride? Balutak snorted loudly, distorting his face even further.
"Kreeeeeee-ch!"
"Keep it within reason."
"Kirik..."
He had been terrifying when he was a DLC boss, but now I could only wonder how to handle this handful of a child. I glanced at Charlotte out of the corner of my eye. Though I couldn't read even a hint of her expression through the gas mask, it was clear her mood had improved.
"Thank you, Boss. And you too, Mr. Balutak."
From then on, Charlotte's steps grew much more confident. Exactly. We came here to relax; there was no reason to feel uncomfortable.
"Kirik. Balutak does not like the Demon Realm-dak. I want to go home-dak. I miss Buraltak-dak."
"...It is Kelotak."
"Kirik? That is right-dak. Buraltak's name became Kelotak. The Great Chief gave it to him-dak."
From what I gathered, Kelotak was female, and Balutak shared a... special relationship with her (?).
"Balutak is a deer-dak. Buraltak is a clean river-dak. Buraltak quenches Balutak's thirst. That is why Balutak treasures Buraltak-dak."
Balutak had lived his entire life in the forest. That was why his lore book was filled with forest-related metaphors.
But seriously, stop calling her Buraltak.
At this point, I wondered if it wasn't a matter of intelligence, but rather him doing it on purpose. Wait, now that I thought about it, why was her name Buraltak if she was female? Was this guy gay? It was hard to distinguish male and female insectoids by their appearance alone. Who knew? Maybe he really was gay and was in love with a male Buraltak.
As I walked while indulging in these silly thoughts, Charlotte pointed toward a grand building.
"Boss. I believe that is the Beast Shop."
"What is that?"
"It is a shop frequently used by Dungeon Lords. They deal in beasts that the merchant guilds do not carry, so it might be worth taking a look."
A faint glimmer of anticipation shone in Charlotte's eyes. It was true that our dungeon's defenses were still quite weak. Even if Rosesha sent reinforcements, they would ultimately be temporary support. We needed to bolster our own independent forces. Besides, I had the system that allowed me to see levels. If there was a beast with a high level, a cheap price tag, and an easy-to-manage temperament, I was more than willing to buy it.
"How much travel funds do we have left?"
"We have a total of 2,023,000 cells."
I already knew this, but our dungeon was incredibly poor. It couldn't be helped, considering we were a newly established dungeon that had only just found its footing. With high-grade monsters costing nearly ten million cells, two million cells wouldn't even come close. Maybe we should just window shop. I could browse around and buy one if I found a cheap beast with high potential.
Chime! The ringing of a bell welcomed us as we pushed the door open.
"Welcome."
The owner of the Beast Shop was a cat-faced beastman wearing a monocle. Contrary to his cute appearance, his voice was incredibly gruff. The shopkeeper glanced at us and seemed about to return to his work, but his gaze locked onto Charlotte.
"Half-demon? Or are you a human?"
"I am a Demone."
"So a human, then. Sorry, but humans are prohibited from entering. Please leave."
We were kicked out less than three seconds after arriving. If I revealed myself as a Lord of the Mugan 7 Palaces, I could probably force our way in, but I didn't want to cause an unnecessary scene. It wasn't that important of an issue anyway. Before we could all leave together, Charlotte stepped outside on her own.
"Please take your time looking around. I will wait out here."
I hesitated for a moment. Just the thought of browsing beasts was enough to set a man's heart ablaze. Though I hadn't shown it, I was secretly quite excited. Looking at Charlotte's expression, she genuinely seemed fine with it.
"Very well. Balutak, stay by Charlotte's side. It would be dangerous for a human to be left alone in the Demon Realm."
"Kirik. Understood-dak."
I guess I'll look at the beasts by myself. Some alone time. Actually, this is even better.
"Kiririk. The Demon Realm hates humans-dak. Why-dak?"
"There are reasons for it. You wouldn't understand even if I explained."
"Kiririk. Balutak is smart-dak. But Deputy is smarter-dak. I will stay quiet-dak."
Charlotte let out a deep sigh. She had expected it, but the discrimination against humans here was indeed rampant. Given the tangled, bloody history between their kinds, she didn't feel wronged. Still, she couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness. Deep within Charlotte's heart, anxiety and worry began to coil. If even the city plaza was like this, she felt utterly overwhelmed just thinking about the upcoming meeting.
What if I only end up causing trouble for him?
She had followed him because it was the Boss's decision, but that didn't make her worries vanish. Dwelling on it would only drag her mood down further. Charlotte shook away her stray thoughts and resolved to kill time until he returned.
"Kirik. Deputy wants to go in, but Deputy cannot go-dak. Then why are we standing here-dak? Can we not just go somewhere else-dak?"
"It is a Beast Shop. Only the Boss needs to enter."
Charlotte had grasped the general nature of the Boss's abilities. An eye that could perceive a beast's potential, and the power to evolve them. Balutak, standing right beside her, was living proof of that power. He was a bit foolish, but his strength was undeniable.
"He might just look around and leave, but I have absolute faith in the Boss's Insight."
"Kirik. I hope he gets a female insectoid-dak."
"That will not happen. And besides, you already have a female named Kelotak—"
Charlotte froze mid-sentence, her expression stiffening. For some reason, a passing werewolf had stopped right in front of her. Balutak looked between the two of them with a puzzled gaze. He could sense a strange, tense atmosphere flowing between them. After staring up at the werewolf for a long moment, Charlotte squeezed out a voice.
"Have you been well?"
Ptu. What came out of the werewolf's mouth wasn't a reply, but a glob of spit. The sticky saliva clung to her eyebrow, causing her to reflexively close her eyes. Before Charlotte could even wipe the spit away, a rough hand violently yanked her hood back. Her fully exposed face was met with a hideous, menacing sneer.
"Still as insolent-looking as ever."
"..."
"What is a bitch like you doing in the Demon Realm? Have you gone mad, human girl? Are you begging to die?"
"Kreeeech!"
"Stay back. He is someone you must not touch."
Charlotte hastily held back Balutak, who was about to pounce. If they laid a single finger on him, they would die. More accurately, he was an opponent capable of slaughtering them.
"This is Lord Gergoar, the Rank 21 Dungeon Lord."
Charlotte was all too familiar with Gergoar. The memories were so painful she didn't even want to recall them, making her hesitate to speak.
"...He was once my boss."