30. The Wolf from the West (5)
30. The Wolf from the West (5)
- 1 -
"Shall I go with you?"
"I think you should."
After Eve left first, Shue burrowed back into my arms with her question, and I didn't refuse—I embraced her in return.
Earlier I had pushed her away and then accepted her—part of me felt like I was making up for how sorry I felt that she had come to our dungeon. She'd been thrown straight into real combat because of the trading company situation, without even a proper welcoming ceremony, after all.
Shue, a faint smile on her face, came down to sit beside me again and spoke in a tone that was slightly whining yet oddly flat.
"That's fine..."
"Alright. Thank you."
"But I don't like it when Lady goes outside..."
"Why is that?"
"Outside is dangerous. Lady is weak in fate."
"You say that sort of thing too, I see."
Her expression was still blank, but her body was full of aegyo—seeing her was like witnessing one of those modern legends, a creature with the appearance of a cat and the attitude of a puppy.
Though the fact that she was actually a wolf made it rather amusing.
"Calling a dungeon lord weak in fate. Anyone listening would tell you not to make such nasty jokes. They'd ask how so many people died to someone so weak."
"But Lady is..."
Most humans would dismiss such words as utter nonsense. Why else would the 'System' treat a dungeon lord's attribute standards as roughly double those of ordinary monsters or humans?
The dungeon core was a mass of mana.
And the dungeon lord's body, which directly drew and used mana from that core, was no different from a monster developed through accumulated mana.
'Stats' indicated which aspect of the body that mana was developing.
And also...
"I'm not the sort to just stay in the back. But I'm grateful you worry about me."
"...It's okay. Even so. I'll protect Lady."
"How admirable."
- Geureureung...
When I stroked her head and touched her ears, she let out a pleased growl. I'd tried it because I recalled that puppies liked being touched there, and the response wasn't bad.
I didn't dislike her aegyo-filled attitude either, naturally.
In the first place, her appearance was incredibly beautiful, her first impression wasn't bad, and her eyes always sparkled when looking at me—she was overflowing with goodwill.
There was no reason to dislike it.
Of course, that didn't mean I'd get drunk on that alone and stop thinking about what needed to be done.
"Anyway, I suppose we'll have to pray the two forces fight as evenly as possible."
"So there'll be more to eat...?"
"That's a wild way to put it, but yes. You're not wrong. How clever you are, Shue."
"Yeah... I'm smart. Because Lady said it, so it's right."
So it wasn't that she herself was smart, but that she was smart because I said so. At this point, it looked less like goodwill and more like fanaticism.
Just where had this young lady popped out from?
I found myself suspiciously wondering if something had happened between us before I entered this body.
'But there's no way that's the case.'
'Dungeon lords are babies who received the blood of demon realm races.' That had been a confirmed setting in MLD 1, after all.
If I stretched my thoughts to impossible lengths, there was one choice that fit, but that was truly nonsensical.
'And that's not what's important anyway.'
What was important was right now, this moment.
That they treasured me, and that I worried about what I could do for them in return.
Surviving for that, and growing stronger.
That was the highest priority.
'In the first place, where would I ever find a situation that's only good for me like that?'
Indeed, assumptions like them coming from the future were best left as mere fantasy.
It made no sense.
- Jjaek-jjaek.
I gazed out the window, where the sunset was unusually red today.
I'd assumed there would be no animals or birds in the forest near the dungeon, but recently there had been quite a lot of noise—perhaps because we'd captured many of the wild demon beasts that would normally hunt them.
It was a peaceful scene that didn't suit the word 'dungeon,' one might say.
'It'll be a second trip.'
It had been about one month since my last outing to Solemio had ended.
- 2 -
- You've already figured it out?
Three days after Scarlet had returned, I contacted her to say that the situation of the dungeon lord in question had been confirmed, and this was the reply I received.
A flustered tone, as if saying, 'That's impossible.'
It probably wasn't intended, but it was a tone that subtly pricked at one's pride. If it were an ordinary dungeon lord, it wouldn't be strange for them to get angry here.
- Ah, I'm sorry.
But there was no way I'd get angry over something like that, and she seemed to know it herself as she quickly apologized, so it didn't matter.
"Yes. Would you like to come hear about it?"
- Well, I probably have work today... No! I'll take leave and come.
"There's no need for that."
- There won't be any need for leave! I just meant I'm prepared to go that far!
"Alright."
And sure enough, Scarlet managed to come quickly, arriving the very morning she contacted me.
She brought with her a strong figure from the demon realm—someone I hadn't seen before yet somehow felt I had.
"You really came quickly. And who is this beside you?"
"Well, that's..."
"It's a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Lady Libertas. I am called Grimm Du Rol, vice-chief of the trading company under which Scarlet serves."
A goblin merchant who placed one hand behind his back and brought the other to his chest, bowing his head in a respectful greeting.
His appearance was familiar.
'It's been about two months, hasn't it... It feels like I'm seeing him after a very long time.'
He had, without a doubt, one of the names and appearances of that infamous backstabbing-specialist goblin merchant from 'MLD 1.'
His attire had changed and his current face lacked that mean, sly expression, so it seemed his disposition had shifted somewhat over two hundred years.
Were other goblins still alive? I was a bit curious about that.
"I'm not sure how I should address you, Grimm Du Rol."
Because goblins typically stood only about half the height of a human, he looked faintly ridiculous at a glance, but senses not my own picked up that his etiquette was near-perfect, as well as the swordsman's presence he hid within that small body.
'He's truly strong. Even an ordinary goblin grows this strong after 200 years.'
It was the power of 'Nobility' that could distinguish those worthy of being taken into one's service.
The current me possessed overwhelming strength and he possessed perfect etiquette. Naturally, I couldn't treat him carelessly either.
Though there was no need to be cowed, either.
"You may simply call me Grimm, or Viscount. Although you cannot be clearly distinguished by a title, Lady, you possess a noble spirit that need not defer to anyone unless they are a demon realm noble of count rank or higher. Scarlet. What were you doing, not even informing her of such things?"
"I-I'm sorry...!"
By rebuking his subordinate, he made me, a young dungeon lord, aware of my disadvantageous position—a veteran move to avoid losing momentum.
At the same time, it was an oddly low posture for someone who was a vice-chief leading a sales department of Mammon Company.
"It's fine, Grimm. I've been busy myself and had no time to hear such detailed explanations. How could that be any discourtesy?"
"I am grateful for the Lady's ocean-like grace."
However, my completely unruffled demeanor seemed unexpected; the eyebrow beneath his monocle twitched once before he bowed his head.
I could guess the reason for the low posture he was adopting.
And he, perhaps guessing that I already knew, revealed the reason the very next moment.
"Each of the demon realm's archdukes commands two or three marquises who may be called their direct subordinates. One of these marquises is the client for this commission. It is a stature that a single department finds difficult to manage.
As such, I earnestly hope that the Lady, in her merciful heart, will aid us."
He gave the detailed explanation first, on the assumption that Scarlet hadn't informed me.
Sometimes revealing weakness brings profit in a deal—if both sides have maintained a good relationship up to that point.
The goblin had probably guessed that I was such an entity...
Yes. That wasn't an incorrect fact.
The 'good relationship' Scarlet had maintained with me was something I felt as an intangible debt.
"I see. Though I had guessed as much."
"Is there anything more I should inform you of?"
"The fact that this marquis is a vampire—that's correct, isn't it?"
"...Yes. That's correct. The Lady 'Serica' is his illegitimate child."
"I see."
As if thinking, 'She figured out even that,' the goblin hesitated briefly before speaking truthfully.
Perhaps that marquis had simply disclosed up to this point.
'Anyway, an illegitimate child, huh.'
I certainly knew the setting that dungeon lords were babies of the demon realm, but it seemed there really were demon realm nobles who supported them knowing exactly who their own child was.
Come to think of it, even in 'MLD 1,' I'd occasionally receive requests from users who'd become famous as dungeon lords, asking if a certain surface NPC dungeon lord could be placed under 'protection.'
It was a generous quest that massively boosted the 'Fame' stat needed to purchase good items, and once a dungeon lord was under 'protection,' as long as you didn't kill them, you didn't have to worry about anything...
The game never informed you of the exact reason, but I wondered if this case was similar to that.
"I suppose you can't tell me who that noble is?"
"No. I apologize, but."
"I'm not so discourteous or narrow-minded as to get angry over such a thing. I only asked just in case."
"I was impertinent."
As expected, given the trading company's position, they couldn't tell me this. However, after that, he indirectly provided an answer to my question.
This, too, was due to their position.
Regarding this current incident, the trading company and I were practically on equal footing.
The side that needed to cooperate had to at least provide some information.
"However, if the commission succeeds, that party will approach the Lady."
"Thank you for telling me honestly."
"I judged you would guess at least this much."
"Hmm."
I fell into thought for a moment as I drank tea.
Finding out the dungeon lord's circumstances had been the original commission. But this goblin was now speaking as if there was naturally a follow-up commission.
I could quickly guess what that commission was.
And along with that, I realized one more thing: this goblin was already guessing how I would move.
"You want me to protect her, I see."
"The marquis's side hopes for that."
"And you?"
"The Lady already meets the conditions of the trading partner we desire."
"Is it alright for you to say that?"
"Our side's directors also possess at least that much power."
Meaning those directors, too, were marquises, I supposed.
Since no full-scale conflict would arise, it was also a statement that they were leaving the method of resolving this matter to me.
"Even so, it would be good for you if she's rescued intact, wouldn't it?"
"That is true, but... you may judge according to your capabilities and at your discretion. That side will have no grounds to take issue. We will handle the rest. We can also support you with mercenaries."
"That's fine."
When I even refused support, this time Grimm truly showed a flustered expression on his previously composed face.
He seemed to think I was being recklessly daring in the face of a difficult task, like other young dungeon lords.
"But if you carelessly reveal the dungeon and the Lady's existence right now..."
"In the end, it just means I mustn't be revealed, doesn't it? Don't worry. Moving with large numbers of personnel will only get our existence discovered by humans. It would be best to watch. See what sort of existence Lady Libertas is."
I simply smiled as I continued speaking.
The words coming out were a little cringeworthy to me, but at this point in time, it was necessary.
Having others see me as excessively high and exceptional wasn't good either. I needed to display a moderately arrogant mindset and behavior.
'And besides...'
Even if I failed the commission, I had confidence that this time, I absolutely would not be revealed.
I intended to make humans discover and offer up the corpse, or living body, of a dungeon lord.
Without them realizing they were doing so for me.