The All-Female Hero Party Invades My Dungeon
On the way back to the dungeon I read BlackFlameDragon’s comment and let out a wry smile. Flag? One Lucy was already more than enough woman for my entire life. And she wasn’t even human.
[Daon, hurry up. I’m hungry.]
“Meow.”
With His Majesty the Demon King whining on my shoulder, I hurried my steps toward my home sweet home… no, toward the dungeon.
But I had no idea that today’s brief encounter would become the prelude to a colossal event that would later shake the entire world. Or that uninvited guests would soon come barging into my dungeon.
The next day.
[Image: A red-furred cat curled up in front of a campfire]
Looking at it now, it really is ruby-red. The color stands out even more, so the fact that I managed to sneak in while carrying this is legendary. Currently preparing His Majesty the Demon King’s meal. No questions.
In the dungeon’s boss room—which had now become the “Demon King’s living room”—the sound of meat sizzling echoed loudly. The stone slab the ogre mage had brought back was an excellent cooking tool. Its heat conductivity was phenomenal.
“Daon. Is it ready yet?”
The red cat sitting politely on the table (which used to be a sacrificial altar) tapped its tail impatiently. Its glossy red fur caught the dim dungeon light and sparkled like a jewel. The image was both seductive and dangerously alluring.
“It’s done. It’s resting, so just wait thirty seconds.”
I skillfully transferred the steak to a plate. It was the highest-grade sirloin I had bought for a small fortune in the village. I had used the rosemary and basil that FlameWizard recommended to completely eliminate any gamey smell.
“Here you are. ‘Rosemary-Infused Sirloin Steak’ and, for dessert, ‘Fresh Cream Strawberry Cake.’”
Puff—!
Red smoke burst out. The cat vanished, replaced by the familiar beauty in a red dress. Lucy stuck her nose over the plate before she even picked up a fork.
“Hmm… The aroma passes!”
She sliced the meat with a knife and put it in her mouth. I watched nervously. The ogre mage was holding its breath in the corner as well.
Chew, chew.
Lucy’s red eyes flew wide open.
“……!”
“How is it?”
“Daon.”
“Yes.”
“Stop being a black mage and just become my personal chef.”
Lucy even started humming as she devoured the steak like a storm.
“It’s on a completely different level from boar! It melts in your mouth! And this herbal scent completely cuts through the richness. You’re a genius, aren’t you?”
The Demon King 'Lucy' is extremely satisfied with your cooking.
Favorability has risen dramatically!
Current Relationship: Interesting Toy → Quite Useful Butler
Thank goodness. I’d been promoted from toy to butler.
Lucy finished the steak in the blink of an eye and reached for the strawberry bowl. Dipping the red strawberries deep into the white cream made her look like a vampire savoring blood, yet strangely innocent like a child.
“It’s sweet! So tangy and soft!”
The Demon King smiled happily with cream all over her mouth. I secretly took a screenshot and saved it in the gallery. This could be used as life insurance later—not for blackmail, but to sell to the gallery members for information.
“I’m full.”
After finishing her meal, Lucy transformed back into the red cat. Once her belly was full, everything seemed bothersome; she curled up into a perfect bread loaf position.
[Daon, rub my belly.]
“Huh?”
[Help me digest. You said you’re in the service industry, didn’t you?]
I carefully approached and gently stroked the belly covered in red fur. It was warm and incredibly soft. A black mage rubbing the Demon King’s belly—there probably wasn’t anyone bolder than me in this world.
[Not there. A little higher… Yes. Right there.]
The sound of purring filled the dungeon. It was peaceful.
But I knew from BlackFlameDragon’s warning that this peace was only the calm before the storm.
At the same time, inside the village of Luden’s finest inn, “Moonlight Haven.”
Honored guests whom the entire village had welcomed with excitement were staying here.
The hero party “Avalon’s Flower.” Unusually, every single member was female—the empire’s strongest adventurer team and hero group.
“Aww, it’s such a shame.”
The silver-haired girl rolling around on the bed let out a long sigh. It was the Saintess, Elin.
“That cat was seriously adorable. Its fur was red. It sparkled like a ruby.”
“Elin, you’re still talking about the cat after what happened?”
The cold-looking black-haired beauty leaning against the window while reading a book scolded her. She was Seria, the genius mage responsible for the party’s brains.
“But it was so pretty! And the male owner… there was something mysterious about him.”
“Mysterious?”
Karina, the leader who had been polishing her sword in the center of the room, lifted her head. With her short blonde hair and sharp eyes, she looked like the very picture of a female knight.
“Yeah. When I tried to pet it he snatched the cat away and hid it. But his eyes at that moment… how should I put it? They were really mature! He had real force, you know?”
Elin blushed and pounded the pillow.
“He had charisma. When he whispered ‘What are you doing,’ my heart actually skipped a beat.”
“Haa… The saintess is completely bewitched by a man.”
Seria closed her book and pushed her glasses up.
“I was worried for a different reason. That man’s magic control was top-tier.”
“Magic control?”
Luna, the party’s scout who had been fiddling with her dagger in the corner, joined the conversation. The small girl kept her hood pulled low.
“Yes. It was very faint, but he was artificially suppressing demonic energy. He’s no ordinary mage. And…”
Seria’s eyes sharpened.
“That red cat. It wasn’t a normal animal. My mana detection radar picked up an enormous density of energy before it vanished.”
Karina sheathed her sword and asked, “You mean it’s a demonic beast?”
“Not exactly a demonic beast… A spirit? Or a summoned creature? I’m not sure, but it definitely wasn’t an ordinary animal. A man who travels with something that dangerous…”
“Suspicious.”
Karina stood up.
“The village chief said the monsters in the nearby ‘Forgotten Abandoned Mine’ dungeon have been acting strange lately. They aren’t coming out at all and won’t even approach the entrance.”
“Did the owner change?”
“Possibly. And then today we saw that suspicious man and the red cat in the village.”
The corners of Karina’s mouth curved up aggressively.
“Don’t you smell it? The scent of an incident.”
“Karina, not this again? We came to this village for a vacation.”
Seria shook her head in disgust, but Karina was already putting on her armor.
“Vacation? A dungeon where the monsters have gone quiet sounds interesting. Besides…”
She grinned at Elin.
“Let’s get a proper look at the face of the ‘forceful man’ our youngest saintess has fallen for. Who knows? He might be living a newlywed life in that dungeon.”
“Ah, sis! Stop teasing me!”
“Luna, prepare for reconnaissance. We head to the ‘Forgotten Abandoned Mine’ early tomorrow morning.”
“Roger.”
Luna answered shortly and melted into the shadows.
The hero party made up entirely of women. Unfortunately, the place their curiosity had turned toward was the dungeon where I, Daon, lived.
The next morning.
When I opened my eyes inside the dungeon I felt an inexplicable chill run down my spine.
Warning: Powerful holy energy is approaching the dungeon entrance!
Warning: Multiple intruders detected!
“…Shit, I’m screwed!”
I shot upright.
Meanwhile Lucy was still fast asleep on my stomach, completely oblivious to the world.
“Lucy! Lucy! Wake up! Fuck, we’re really fucked!”
Unlike my panic, the sight of her lying on her back with her belly exposed was the very picture of peace.