Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Anyway, the battle stopped.
Yuna’s surprise attack with the skeletons had worked fairly well, and Melaim’s follow-up strike had been solid too.
Meanwhile, Tanya had retrieved her daggers and was waiting for another opening…
Looking at the situation, things couldn’t have been better.
And yet…
Why did we stop?
Apparently, there was only one person here thinking the same thing as me.
Though I wasn’t sure “person” was the right word.
The Death Knight spoke in an awkward voice.
“So… I did tell you to stop, but… you really stopped?”
You’re the one who told us to.
What an absurd guy.
“Did you not have something to say?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“Then speak.”
The Death Knight suppressed his confusion and pointed at Yuna.
“Ahem… These skeletons. Are they being controlled by… no, by that esteemed person over there?”
Yuna nodded casually.
“So?”
“Do you possess some kind of artifact for commanding the undead?”
Yuna shook her head.
“No. My class is Necromancer.”
“…!”
The Death Knight stiffened.
“I see! Then, please wait here for a moment!”
He turned as if to leave.
Melaim called out.
“Running will do you no good.”
“As if! My long-cherished wish is right before my eyes!”
And just like that, the Death Knight ran out of the boss room.
So bosses can leave their boss rooms too?
Well, I guess that’s how he hunted the dungeon monsters.
Then the boss room doors burst open again, and the Death Knight poked his head back in.
“Do not go anywhere! I beg you! I will return shortly!”
After saying that, he disappeared again.
What’s with the begging?
Boss monsters are… very different from what I imagined.
“What was that about? Did he forget his weapon or something?”
“Since he spoke of a cherished wish, I doubt that. But I have no idea either.”
Melaim and I both turned to Yuna.
It seemed like this had something to do with her.
“I don’t know either.”
Fair enough.
We’d find out soon enough.
But first…
“Melaim. Why did you stop?”
“It was not only me who stopped, was it?”
That was true.
The skeletons had stopped too.
I looked at Yuna.
“I just stopped because Melaim lowered her guard.”
Melaim nodded at that.
“Hm. Is that so? Yuna, it seems you trust me as your comrade.”
“Uh…? I guess so?”
Just say yes already.
She looks so happy.
But maybe Yuna’s hesitation made it feel more sincere, because Melaim looked even more pleased.
“Then I must explain!”
So there really was a reason?
I honestly thought she just stopped because he told her to.
Melaim looked at us.
“Have any of you ever died?”
What kind of ridiculous question is that?
The only ones here who had died were those skeletons wandering around.
I answered immediately.
“Of course not.”
“Me neither! Though I’ve almost died before.”
Right.
Like when Melaim almost tore Tanya apart.
Come to think of it, I’d almost died by Tanya’s blade too.
What a lovely party.
Melaim continued.
“Mm. Neither have I. But I carry many memories of death.”
“Ah… right.”
Probably as many as the people she’d eaten.
“To die with words left unsaid leaves behind a great regret. I assure you, none of you can imagine the weight of such regret.”
“So… you stopped because you didn’t want the Death Knight to leave regrets behind?”
Melaim nodded.
Was that kindness?
Even the gods would probably tilt their heads at that.
Maybe she felt some sense of kinship as a lonely, bored monster.
“Of course, it is only because I am certain we would still win if we resumed.”
“Are you sure we’d win?”
Melaim grinned.
“There are four of us, are there not?”
She counted me too.
It was obvious, but somehow it touched me a little.
At that moment, the boss room doors opened.
The Death Knight returned.
So this is what boss monsters see when adventurers greet them.
What a rare experience.
In both hands, the Death Knight carried something.
A glowing sword in one hand.
A black orb in the other.
The orb was one thing, but that brilliantly shining sword looked completely out of place in his hands.
It was about the same size as my own sword.
Melaim frowned.
“You returned with new equipment? More pathetic than I expected.”
The Death Knight glanced at her, then strode forward.
His sword lowered.
Completely defenseless.
But he came too close, and Melaim stepped in front of us.
Then—
The Death Knight stopped and knelt.
The one he bowed to…
Was Yuna.
“…Huh?”
Yuna pointed at herself, completely baffled.
The Death Knight held the sword by the blade and offered the hilt to her.
Without saying a word.
Yuna turned to me, flustered.
“What’s going on? What is this?”
I have no idea.
But Melaim seemed to understand.
“Ah… I see. So that is it.”
“What is?”
Melaim ignored me and addressed Yuna.
“It is simple. Yuna, accept the sword.”
The Death Knight definitely looked like he was offering it to her.
Very respectfully.
Yuna cautiously stepped forward and took the sword.
“I took it.”
“Now, you may appoint him as your knight. Or, if you do not wish it, cut off his head where he kneels.”
Yuna grimaced.
Then she asked the Death Knight,
“Is that true?”
But he said nothing.
“He cannot speak now. The choice is yours.”
Why?
This is way too sudden.
And why was Melaim accepting this so naturally?
Tanya…
Was scratching the floor with her dagger and drawing pictures.
Guess she got bored since the fight stopped.
Yuna looked down at the kneeling Death Knight, deep in thought.
Then after a long pause, she said something absurd.
“Uh… if I take you, do I have to pay you a salary?”
Melaim blinked.
“Uh…? That might be the case? Hm? I am not sure.”
What kind of conversation is this?
Even if she paid him, what would he spend it on?
The Death Knight remained motionless, head lowered.
“Just so you know, I can’t pay much.”
So she’s actually considering it?
Yuna lightly tapped both of his shoulders and the top of his head with the sword.
Then awkwardly declared,
“Uh… from now on, you are my knight.”
The Death Knight trembled with joy.
“Ahhh! At last!”
At that moment, the dungeon began to shake.
Was this the legendary dungeon clear?
“Wait… what about the clear reward?”
Usually it appears when you defeat the boss.
The Death Knight answered.
“Oh! I brought it, so no need to worry!”
He held out the black orb to Yuna.
“I present this weapon to the Great Lord of Death.”
“Oh… uh, thanks.”
The Great Lord of Death…
Yuna accepted the orb.
At once, black energy poured from the skeletons and the Death Knight.
The Death Knight spoke reverently.
“My Great Lord of Death. This orb strengthens undead and undead familiars. I have preserved it all this time, waiting for the day you would appear.”
It was a perfect item for Yuna.
Though for anyone else, it was basically useless.
The only person who might want something like that…
Would probably be a mage who drank an Undeadification Elixir and became a lich.
Anyway, the Death Knight looked like a child waiting for praise.
Not that he looked anything like a child.
But Yuna’s expression after receiving the orb wasn’t very good.
“Do you have to call me that?”
“What do you mean?”
“That whole Great whatever title.”
The Death Knight quickly corrected himself.
“…My lord!”
Yuna clicked her tongue once, then accepted the title after brief thought.
“Then let’s leave.”
I agreed with Melaim.
“Yeah. There’s nothing else to take… I guess that orb can serve as proof of subjugation?”
Normally, you’d need part of the boss monster’s body.
But we couldn’t exactly carve up Yuna’s new servant.
The Death Knight answered.
“I shall personally testify that I was defeated! …If my lord permits it.”
“Sure… I guess.”
Can he do that?
It was certainly convincing proof, but was he really going to walk into the Adventurer’s Guild and say, I have been subjugated?
…Whatever.
“Oh, and I have gathered all the dungeon treasures. Follow me.”
Yuna’s eyes lit up.
…
At the Adventurer’s Guild in Count Kite’s territory.
Right now, some people had their hands on their weapons.
Others looked ready to flee.
But under everyone’s watchful eyes, no one dared run.
Unfortunately, Receptionist Lily had nowhere to run.
So she was trembling in front of the Death Knight, black energy swirling around him.
Sadly, the so-called “champions of justice” from before—
The other adventurers—
Not one of them stepped forward.
The Death Knight spoke to Lily.
“Since matters have come to this, present the promised gold to my lord.”
“Y-Yes!”
Lily hurried to the back of the guild to fetch the money.
The Death Knight looked around at the surrounding adventurers and snorted.
Then Mites, the adventurer who had challenged us, carefully approached.
“H-Hey… um… this is safe, right? He’s not going to attack or anything?”
The one who answered was the Death Knight.
“So long as no disrespect is shown to my lord.”
Mites let out a terrified squeak and hurriedly backed away.
The adventurers started whispering among themselves.
“A Necromancer strong enough to command something like that… and she follows that warrior?”
“That warrior must be hiding incredible swordsmanship. Maybe he refuses to advance classes because he doesn’t want to rely on skills.”
Whatever.
I’ll just leave them to their nonsense.
It doesn’t even feel bad, so who cares?