Chapter 192
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 192
Fortunately, she hadn't injured her head, but blood was trickling from her badly bruised elbow. Clutching the handle inside the lurching carriage, Scobina let out a soft groan before pushing the door open.
"What's going on? Why did we suddenly stop—!"
Scobina, who had been about to yell at the driver, furrowed her brow.
The mountain path was rarely frequented by anyone, human or monster, yet someone was blocking their way.
The driver sat frozen, as if he had seen a ghost. Scobina glared silently at the uninvited guest.
Human? Monster?
The figure was human in shape, but its aura was wild. Most humanoid monsters possessed high intelligence; they would surely recognize a carriage belonging to the Leprechaun Merchant Guild. So who was this?
A hood and a robe.
The intruder wore the classic attire for concealing one's identity. As Scobina watched in silence, the figure quietly unclasped the robe.
The first thing to catch her eye was two crossed belts cinched at the waist. Her gaze followed the silvery gleam to a sword sheathed at each hip.
Once the unclasped robe fell completely to the ground, Scobina raised her head.
The figure was slender. However, the leather gear they wore was well-worn and seasoned. The equipment was custom-made to ensure not a single shred of discomfort,
indicating that the intruder was a seasoned veteran.
She looked up further, staring at the face.
"..."
The gaze was sharp.
That wasn't a figure of speech—the pupils were genuinely slit and sharp. It was slightly different from Swallow's eyes. These were… the eyes of a snake.
A human with serpentine traits.
"..."
Scobina froze. Though it was her first time seeing the woman in person, she had heard of her distinct characteristics countless times.
"I thought only the delegation..."
Scobina mumbled in bewilderment, then quickly snapped out of it and covered her mouth with both hands. Still, she couldn't comprehend the situation.
Why?
Why is a beastkin here?
"I am Rocheisa, the Holy Flower of Rium. There is something I wish to ask you."
The moment she finished speaking, Rocheisa drew her sword.
Scobina didn't even see the blade leave its sheath. One moment it was gone, the next, its cold edge was pressed right against her nose.
Rocheisa continued, her voice flat and dry.
"I hope you will cooperate. We are not enemies yet."
*
Phase. 6
"Lady Rene, do you happen to have any spare clothes...?"
The older Yaksha sister visited Rene's room.
The question was followed by a complete and absolute silence, a void devoid of any noise. Not even the sound of breathing could be heard.
Rene, who had stopped breathing because she couldn't grasp the situation, turned her head stiffly, like a rusty machine, to look at the older Yaksha sister.
"Clothes...?"
Asking for clothes out of the blue. It was a bit awkward. If word got out that the new administrator of Room 2 was a pauper who couldn't even afford a single set of clothes...
"Didn't you mention it last time, Lady Rene?"
"Ah."
Only after the Yaksha fluttered the hem of her outfit—which was closer to being draped over her than actually worn—did Rene recall what she had said. She had indeed asked if the Yaksha could change that obscene outfit of hers.
"To be honest, I wasn't planning on listening. These markings are all highly useful in battle, so I have no choice but to expose my skin. It's not like I'm an exhibitionist who enjoys walking around naked."
"...Rene spoke out of ignorance. If it is necessary for battle, I won't interfere with your clothing."
"But I think your words make sense, Lady Rene. Now that I'm becoming a room administrator myself, it wouldn't do if the monsters looking at me got... distracted."
"Y-Your choice of words!"
"Anyway, during non-combat times, I should wear proper clothes, shouldn't I? I can just strip them off whenever I fight."
Stripping off her clothes every time she fights... That sounds exactly like an exhibitionist.
Rene quickly brushed the thought from her mind. Although it was suspicious how easily the Yaksha had changed her mind, she was, in any case, complying with Rene's request.
"But if you need clothes, it might be better to borrow some from Melju."
"I went to her earlier, but she rejected me flat out. She said a Demon King's garments aren't to be lent out lightly."
Rene furrowed her brow slightly. What was the big deal? Melju had a habit of pulling the 'Demon King' card at the strangest times...
No, wait.
"You did well," Rene said, suddenly changing her tune.
Grumbling inwardly, she realized it was for the best that the Yaksha hadn't borrowed clothes from Melju. Having seen Melju's wardrobe in the past, Rene knew all too well.
When it came to clothes that were little more than rags, Melju was no better. The dark purple outfit she usually wore was actually on the modest side. She carried dozens of outfits, claiming it was befitting of a Demon King, but every single one of them was designed to accentuate the curves of her body.
—The banquet dress she supposedly wore when visiting Judeca was especially absurd. Even though it wasn't her real body, Melju seemed to thoroughly enjoy flaunting a voluptuous version of her physique. This was a level of perversion beyond mere exhibitionism.
"We are a descendant of Asmodeus, the Demon King of Lust!"
"All the other Demon Kings wear clothes like this! Sir Rene, do not simply accuse Us of being in the wrong!"
According to Melju, one of the most important things for a Demon King was 'nobility.' It seemed to be a Demon King's duty to show off that they were on a completely different level from other monsters, right from birth.
Most Demon Kings flaunted this difference through their physical bodies. Indeed, Melju's skin was flawless. Since she used <Cure> after every battle, she didn't have a single scar. Her toned, fat-free figure was viewed by other monsters as 'a being perfect not only in mind but also in body.'
Even if I take a hundred steps back and accept that Melju has her own reasons...
She couldn't possibly let the Yakshas wear such embarrassing clothes. Even if she could somehow overlook the older sister, if the younger Yaksha sister wore something like that, the public morals of the dungeon would be utterly shattered. As Rene let her imagination run wild, her face flushed bright red.
No, absolutely not.
It was dangerous. She still hadn't figured out if Lord Swallow had any interest in such things.
If an unprecedented danger were to arise...
If Lord Swallow's heart, which Rene thought she had finally steered in the right direction, were to waver...
That would be a disaster.
"Rene will help you."
"Oh!"
The older Yaksha sister reacted with slight exaggeration. Rene pushed the cave wall aside to check the contents of her hidden wardrobe.
There was one sky-blue dress.
But I have to wear that when I marry Swallow, so that's out.
She checked the other clothes. They were all custom-made maid uniforms of the exact same design and size.
"I only have maid uniforms. Is that alright?"
"I've actually wanted to try being a maid at least once," the older Yaksha sister replied. Despite her polite words, her harsh accent made it sound as if she were picking a fight.
"But all the maid duties are done by Rene..."
"Then you can just be the Head Maid, Lady Rene."
Head Maid...!
At the words 'Head Maid,' Rene instantly drifted into a daydream.
Head Maid—it was the romance, the dream, harbored in the heart of every maid, regardless of race.
"Head Maid..."
As if hypnotized, Rene chewed over the magical words.
Come to think of it, now that there were so many monsters, wouldn't it be good to increase the number of maids? If the maid organization were run more systematically, it would surely be of great help to the dungeon.
Above all, if the maid organization performed well, the one who would receive the most credit would naturally be the Head Maid. Having already envisioned a comfortable retirement in her imaginary world, Rene made up her mind and pulled out the cleanest maid uniform.
"Rene is giving this to you as a special favor."
"Um, it's just that my legs are a bit short..." the Yaksha said with a slightly embarrassed expression as soon as she received the clothes. "I think the hem of the skirt will drag on the ground. Would it be alright if I alter it a little?"
"Uh..."
Slightly taken aback, Rene nodded. What could she say if the skirt was going to drag?
Of course, in Rene's eyes, the Yaksha's legs weren't short at all, but she shouldn't make assumptions based on her own standards.
"I'm giving it to you, not lending it, so feel free to alter it however you like."
"Ah, of course! I will behave like a proper maid from now on."
The older Yaksha sister bowed her head and scurried away. Rene watched her retreating figure in silence, let out a small sigh, and went back to organizing her blades.
*
"Equipment, check. Personal rations, check. Not a single blemish on my face. Rene, you are perfect."
It took less than thirty minutes to finish her personal inspection. In truth, polishing her blades had mostly been for show.
A proper monster shouldn't wait until right before deployment to maintain their gear; they should always be ready to deploy at a moment's notice.
As for the other monsters...
It was obvious without even looking. They would all be in the middle of preparations. Since it was their first mission, they would be incredibly tense, and since searching for the eggs would take quite some time, they would be packing bundles of food.
It would take at least another hour for them to finish. On top of that, it would take another hour for the administrators to assemble the monsters and complete all preparations.
Rene smiled slyly.
"Heh... Hehehe."
That two-hour window was exactly what Rene was aiming for. For two hours, no one would disturb her.
Rene hurriedly ran toward Swallow's room.
It's been so long since Lord Swallow showed any willingness to work.
Based on experience, there was a piece of high-level information that only Rene and Patrick knew.
From the moment Swallow resolved to work until right before he actually started, he would fall into a temporary, groggy state.
The mere thought of 'having to work soon' drained all his energy. In this state, Swallow would lie sprawled out like a corpse, completely motionless. His eyes would be vacant, as if his soul had departed.
—Who knew how much stress he was under, but he wouldn't react much even if Patrick kicked him or dragged him by the collar.
This meant that even if Rene lay down right next to him, leaned on his shoulder, sprawled across his stomach, or rubbed her cheek against his while testing the waters, he wouldn't react much.
Of course, if she tried to go any further, he would push her away, but still.
Rene's pace quickened. Every second was precious. Now that those females—the Yaksha sisters—had joined, she needed to stake a larger claim on his attention.
"Lord Swallow!"
After checking her appearance one last time in front of Swallow's room, Rene ran toward him with a bright voice.
Just as she expected, Swallow was lying completely still. Not sleeping, just… lying there. It was the exact state she had anticipated.
Perfect! Rene smiled faintly as she ran.
"Lord Swallow, Rene is..."
Her steps gradually slowed.
"Rene is..."
Her steps stopped.
"Huh?"
In the spot where only Swallow should have been, there were four legs.
For a moment, Rene, utterly dumbfounded, let out a groan. It felt as if her soul were escaping her body.
Barely pulling herself together, she trudged forward to inspect the intruder.
...There was the older Yaksha sister, giving Swallow a lap pillow.
"..."
"..."
A heavy silence stretched between them. The older Yaksha sister looked up at Rene with an expression that asked if there was some kind of problem.
Rene's hand slipped into her pocket of its own accord, fingering a blade perfectly sized for the Yaksha's waist.
While she still had some sanity left, Rene asked, "What do you think you are doing?"
"I am performing my duties as a maid."
Looking at where Swallow's head rested, Rene let out another deep sigh. It felt as though all the air remaining in her lungs was being forced out.
Even though she had allowed the alteration because the Yaksha claimed her legs were short, the older sister had cut the skirt to a point far above her knees. Rene didn't even know where or how to begin pointing out the issues.
Right, first...
"Duties as a maid...?"
"Yes. Service for the master."
This bitch?
*
"Sister, you look like you're having fun."
"Yeah, her reaction was exactly as expected."
"Whose reaction?"
"Whose do you think?"
Following her older sister's gaze, the younger Yaksha sister spotted Rene amidst the crowd of swarming monsters.
Unlike Patrick, who stood in a highly visible spot, Rene was huddled in a corner as if she didn't want the other monsters to see her.
Her expression looked like she might burst into tears at any moment. In fact, her eyes were already welling up.
"She's about to cry."
"I think it's cute," the older Yaksha sister muttered with a wicked smile.
In truth, she didn't have much interest in Swallow himself. If she was interested in anything, it was his power alone. One could say she revered it, envied it, perhaps even loved it.
However, she had little interest in Swallow as a male.
The only thing she truly cared for was Rene's anxious, fretful reaction.
"How amusing is it that such strong beings have a weakness? And for that weakness to be love... it's absolutely thrilling."