A Place to Lie Down
It had been ten years since she lost her homeland. Charlotte had wandered aimlessly, living in a daze. Her desire for revenge against humanity, the ones who had slaughtered her clan, was relegated to the back of her mind. For her, survival was the absolute priority.
The Empire's extermination decree dictated that any discovered witch's bloodline must be rooted out and eradicated to the last drop. Charlotte had to find a way to survive while harboring her grand dreams of vengeance. She needed a place where she could remain hidden from humans, a place that guaranteed her safety. At the same time, it had to be a place where she could satisfy her thirst for slaughter and find allies to plot her revenge.
'The 72 Dungeons.' Having formulated a plan, she began searching for them. However, as a witch, Charlotte was not only hunted by humans, but her human appearance also made her unwelcome in the dungeons. Despite nearly dying in countless dungeons, she did not abandon her plan. She held onto the hope that, someday, she would find a dungeon that would understand her and join her cause.
Perhaps that hope had finally borne fruit. After a long, arduous wandering, she found the first dungeon to accept her: Abyss Blooming in the Night, ranked 21st. Its Boss, Gergoar, took notice of her abilities.
"Serve as the Guardian of the First Floor." To be a Guardian in charge of an entire floor—Charlotte could not have been more satisfied.
But that satisfaction was short-lived. None of the dungeon's inhabitants welcomed her. Of course, Charlotte took her comrades' disregard and contempt in stride. How could dungeon monsters look upon a human with favor? She believed that once enough time passed and she proved her worth, they would eventually acknowledge her.
Charlotte served as the Guardian of the First Floor for a long time. However, she was forced to defend it entirely on her own, without a single monster assigned to assist her. In short, she was treated as a human shield. She knew she was being used as a convenient, disposable tool. Yet, even knowing this, she fulfilled her duties faithfully, believing that her treatment would change one day.
All by herself, Charlotte repelled the subjugation forces invading the dungeon dozens of times. The only things that changed were the scars, big and small, etched onto her body, and her slowly deteriorating mind and body.
'I ask for fair treatment.' Unable to endure it any longer, Charlotte requested a private audience with Gergoar. Undeniably, the dungeon had benefited immensely from her presence. For over half a year, the first floor had never been breached, and thanks to her devotion, the other monsters suffered zero casualties. It was only logical for a Boss to reward such merit.
"Know your place, human wench. If you don't like it, get the hell out." She realized too late that she wasn't even a disposable tool. She was merely garbage to be used up and thrown away without a second thought. To the Boss, Charlotte's worth was exactly that much.
And that wasn't all. Gergoar had grabbed her by the throat and opened his maw wide.
'...Was I food to you as well?'
"Human wenches taste the best, after all."
She had barely escaped with her life. Fleeing the dungeon by the skin of her teeth, Charlotte dragged her blood-soaked, exhausted body away. Just because she had been betrayed by a dungeon did not mean her hatred for humanity had waned. Her emotions had already withered to nothing, so this betrayal failed to evoke any deep despair.
Other dungeons that took her in met similarly bitter ends. All because she was human. After that, only a lonely, tedious path of wandering lay ahead of her.
A season passed, and Charlotte decided to place her hopes in a dungeon one last time. If things remained unchanged this time, she would stop expecting anything from others and pursue her revenge alone. It was then that she happened to hear news of a newly established Mugan 7 Palaces.
The reputation of the Mugan 7 Palaces went without saying. But Charlotte was more interested in the likelihood of them accepting her. Considering it was a "newly established" faction, meaning their hostility toward humans might be less entrenched, it was worth a try.
"Welcome. I accept you as the Deputy of this dungeon." It was the first time she had ever heard such words. Yet, a corner of her heart harbored doubt born from her past experiences. Will this person truly treat me fairly?
As if to prove her doubts right, this dungeon did not treat her "fairly" either. It was far too generous. They treated her with a level of respect that far exceeded her own perceived abilities.
The first person to ever welcome her very existence. A Boss who bestowed undeserved favor upon a Deputy who did nothing but make mistakes. The Lord of the Mugan 7 Palaces was such a person.
"I asked you a question," Gergoar growled. "What the hell is a wench like you doing here?"
"...I am here as the Deputy of my dungeon," Charlotte replied.
Standing before Gergoar once again, Charlotte did not shrink back. She kept her chin high. The dignity of the Deputy was directly linked to the dignity of her Boss. Bowing her head here would be tantamount to treating her Lord's name lightly.
"And this insect?"
"He is a Guardian of the same dungeon."
"Nothing but a bunch of pathetic rabble."
Charlotte's brow furrowed.
"Lord Gergoar. You would do well to watch your mouth."
"Ha! Watch my mouth? Did I hear that right?"
"I am the Deputy of the newly established Mugan 7 Palaces, the Tomb of Faith."
That single sentence was more than enough for this situation. Any further words might cross the line into an overstepping threat. No matter how newly established the Mugan 7 Palaces were, she was still just a Deputy. Furthermore, if a human Deputy threatened one of the 72 Lords, it would be an outrage that tarnished her Lord's name.
"A worthless human as a Deputy, and a savage insect as a Guardian? You wretched wench! How dare a piece of trash like you mock me?!"
"Impersonating the Abyss Palace is a capital offense for which even death is too merciful. You know this, Lord Gergoar. Why would I lie about such a thing?"
She had assumed he would believe her for that very reason, but...
"A piece of trash like you, the Deputy of the Mugan 7 Palaces...? You expect me to believe that?"
He clearly could not bring himself to believe that a human could be the Deputy of the Mugan 7 Palaces, even if he were beaten to death.
Charlotte glanced around. Unfortunately, there was no one who looked like Gergoar's deputy or guardian nearby. To face such a disaster without any subordinates around to de-escalate the situation was truly unfortunate.
Gergoar, ranked 21st, belonged to the faction of the 8th-ranked Boss. If he were an independent Boss, it might be different, but there was nothing to gain from causing friction with a Boss backed by a powerful faction.
Of course, if one compared the potential damage to both sides, Gergoar would suffer far more. However, because they were newly established, the Mugan 7 Palaces would also have to bear political fallout. Charlotte was extremely averse to causing trouble for her Lord over a personal matter.
'I must resolve this without any issues and keep it quiet.'
Charlotte thought realistically and pragmatically. If she could settle this on her own, she had to do so, even if it meant swallowing her pride as the Deputy of the Abyss Palace. If she wasn't careful, this could spiral entirely out of control. Even if she had to deceive her Lord, burying this incident in secrecy was the best course of action.
Once Gergoar realized during the assembly that she truly was the Deputy of the Abyss Palace, he would have the sense to keep quiet about it. He would know that doing so would benefit them both.
'As if nothing happened...'
Charlotte was human too, and her desire for revenge burned fiercely. But if she acted on impulse, the aftermath would fall entirely on her Lord's shoulders. To make matters worse, the assembly was only a day away. If an unsavory incident occurred between Bosses now, it was obvious the consequences would be far greater than anticipated.
Charlotte squeezed her eyes shut and bowed her head.
"I offer my deepest apologies. I have committed an insolence against the exalted Lord. However, it is the absolute truth that I am the Deputy of the Mugan 7 Palaces."
"..."
"You must let this matter end here, in secret. Only then will it be mutually beneficial."
Surely, he would understand after she had gone this far. It was the moment Charlotte slowly raised her head.
Slap!
With a sharp, resounding crack, her head whipped to the side. The gas mask covering her mouth was sent flying onto the ground.
Naturally, Balutak's horrified face came into view. Charlotte bit her lip and shook her head. Realizing her silent command, Balutak could do nothing but watch, frozen.
Although the thin oxygen of the demonic realm made it difficult to breathe, Charlotte paid it no mind and locked eyes with Gergoar. Gergoar's eyes had already gone completely wild. Werewolves were bound by instinct and emotion rather than rational thought. That was precisely why they were monsters. The mere fact that he had been "mocked" by a human who was once his subordinate had sent his emotions into a frenzy.
"I hope this satisfies you," she said.
Slap!
Following the stinging blow to her cheek, her hair was violently seized. Charlotte wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Thick, dark blood smeared across her skin. If her face suffered any more damage, there would be no turning back.
"You filthy bitch. Consider yourself dead today."
Slap! Slap!
Her vision spun repeatedly. Palms as large as iron pot lids slammed into her face. If there was any saving grace, it was that he had no intention of killing her. If he had struck with all his might to kill, she would have died from the very first blow. These slaps were merely a way to vent his rage. He likely didn't believe she was from the Mugan 7 Palaces, but he seemed to believe she was indeed a dungeon's Deputy.
'Must I keep taking these hits?'
While her vision swam, her mind remained ice-cold. How could she handle this to salvage even a fraction of the situation? The physical violence had already crossed the line of what her dignity could endure. If the Deputy meekly allowed herself to be beaten like this, the reputation of the Mugan 7 Palaces would plummet. But if her Lord had to step in, the situation would spiral out of control.
'...I must handle this myself.'
There was only one answer: she had to use her own power. In terms of sheer strength, Gergoar was no match for her. She had only endured because she lacked the confidence to handle the fallout of attacking one of the 72 Lords. If this caused a major incident, she could simply cut ties and claim it was the Deputy's rogue action. Only by doing so could she preserve the dignity of the Abyss Palace, avoid making an enemy of his faction, and bring this to a clean end.
If she thought about it more, she might find a better way. But given the circumstances, she couldn't afford to waste time. Having finished her calculations, Charlotte gathered her mana, carefully regulating its flow in her hands. If she accidentally inflicted a mortal wound, it would be over. If she focused solely on self-defense, ensuring she could claim she was only protecting herself...
Slap!
It was then, through her tilted vision, that she saw the Death Knight.
"Ah..."
A cold, blue light glared in her direction. He already had his hand on the hilt of his sword.
A werewolf with three eyes—including one on his forehead—and a level of 74. As far as I knew, there was only one boss who fit that description: Gergoar, the 21st Lord.
Suddenly, I recalled a piece of lore from the game hinting at a deep, ill-fated history between Charlotte and Gergoar. I didn't know the exact details. But whatever they were, there was no way in hell I could turn a blind eye to what was unfolding right in front of me.
I ushered Hellboki back and grasped the hilt of the sword strapped to my back. The moment I unraveled the tightly wound bandages, a brilliant, radiant light burst forth.
"What the hell is that...?"
"A human? Why is a human doing that here?"
The commotion quickly drew a crowd of onlookers.
It was true that I wanted to defend Charlotte out of sheer anger, but that wasn't the only reason. Charlotte was the Deputy of the Mugan 7 Palaces. If I let my Deputy get beaten by the 21st Lord and just laughed it off, my reputation would hit rock bottom. With so many eyes on us, everything depended on how I reacted.
Even if this conflict had arisen from some mistake of Charlotte's—well, at least the Charlotte I knew would never do something so senseless.
I might face criticism for causing an unsavory incident between Bosses with only a day left before the assembly. It would undoubtedly cause a massive stir. But what was about to happen might actually add a layer of absolute authority to my name. Most importantly, one thing was certain: after today, no one would ever dare lay a finger on Charlotte again.
Whoosh!
The floating Holy Sword shot forward like an arrow. Guided by my will, it grazed past Gergoar. Red blood sprayed into the air where the light of the Holy Sword sliced through. Before anyone could process what had happened, the wrist he had raised to slap her fell to the ground.
"Aaaaargh!"
Gergoar shrieked, desperately clutching the fountain of blood erupting from his arm. The Holy Sword spun back, and blood sprayed once more. With a clean, sickening slice, both of his legs were severed entirely. Gergoar collapsed like a demolished building.
Was my heart slowly turning into that of an undead? I felt absolutely nothing, even as I watched blood splatter and limbs fly. Perhaps all these justifications were just excuses to rationalize my actions, but my mind had already finished rationalizing.
My slow, deliberate steps brought me right before him. Gergoar's sole remaining hand trembled violently on the ground. I brought my boot down, grinding his hand into the dirt as if crushing a cigarette butt.
"No, you mustn't. You shouldn't do this, Boss."
From the corner of my eye, Charlotte was shaking her head.
"Please listen to me. First, calm down—"
"I will handle this."
For some reason, her eyes were filled with worry for me, but I didn't care to pay it any mind. This situation crossed the line in a way that couldn't even be compared to the Lionheart King. This wasn't just an insult; I had witnessed physical violence right before my eyes.
Catching the returning Holy Sword, I squatted down in front of Gergoar. His face, smeared with blood, spit, and tears, was a pathetic sight. He stared up at me with bloodshot eyes.
"A Death Knight? The Holy Sword...?"
His blood-red pupils dilated abnormally. Even without me saying a word, he recognized who I was. Thanks to that, I didn't have to waste time introducing myself.
"You have made an enemy of the Abyss Palace."
I had learned one thing from the incident with the Lionheart King: even if I killed this bastard right here and now, I would be entirely justified.