Chapter 203
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 203
Earlier, he’d claimed the reason he wasn’t returning to his dungeon was “to eat snacks.” Of course, he couldn't have meant it. He must have only said that because he was too embarrassed to admit he was waiting for the Younger Yaksha Sister.
"Not bad," Bathory said.
"What is?" Swallow asked.
"Nothing."
Standing by the door, Bathory walked over to Swallow. He remained as motionless as ever. She stared at him for a long while with a proud, approving look before noticing a subtle change.
"...Have you always been this big?"
Did he gain weight while I wasn't looking? But it's only been a day since I last saw him.
"...What are you talking about?"
"Huh? Sorry. It's nothing."
At Swallow's response, Bathory fell silent for a moment before quickly apologizing. She had finally found a reason to be touched by him; she couldn't afford to start doubting him now.
To clear the slightly awkward air, she lightly clapped her hands twice. Responding to her call, one of her retainers guarding the entrance approached.
"There might be some minor aftereffects. She'll need to rest for a few more days to fully recover, but you can basically consider her cured."
"Is she sleeping right now?"
"Yes. I'll make a special exception and lend you my retainer. If you want to return to your dungeon quickly, we can wake her up right—"
"No," Swallow replied in a flat voice. "I can't wake her while she's sleeping."
For a moment, Bathory doubted her own ears. Overwhelmed by a sudden surge of emotion, she covered her mouth with one hand.
He's finally grown up.
This wasn't just a matter of being kind. Even if Swallow had made a cold, calculated decision—even if he only viewed the Younger Yaksha Sister as an asset to his forces—he had still chosen to wait for her, overcoming his legendary laziness.
"No, you can't," Bathory refused flatly.
As deeply moved as she was, she couldn't let Swallow stay here for long.
It was obvious that Rene was anxiously waiting for him back at the Primordial Core. As a staunch supporter of Rene's love, Bathory couldn't let Swallow linger.
"I appreciate the sentiment, but I know you're pushing yourself. If she suffers any severe aftereffects, I'll just treat her again."
Bathory turned to her retainer.
"Help him up, quickly."
Receiving the order, the retainer politely excused himself to Swallow and grabbed his shoulders.
Among the countless vampires, the retainers favored by Bathory possessed individual strength comparable to the gatekeepers of other Great Evil Caves.
Yet, the retainer couldn't lift Swallow. He could only groan and strain under the immense weight. Bathory tilted her head slightly.
This meant Swallow was actively refusing to move.
Watching the scene, a sliver of doubt crept back into her mind.
What is it? Why is he so determined to stay?
"..."
No, I shouldn't doubt him.
Bathory snapped her fingers. Instantly, all the retainers lurking within Cheite Castle gathered before her.
"Help him."
Receiving the same command, the retainers grabbed Swallow's limbs and pulled. Only then did he, who had been resisting, begin to budge.
"It would be much more comfortable for you to rest in your own dungeon anyway, so it's about time you..."
As Swallow was forced to his feet, a rustling, clattering sound echoed.
Bathory, still speaking, slowly shifted her gaze downward.
Tumbling out from inside Swallow's coat were...
"Go back..."
Snacks.
—And with them, the sound of all her hopes shattering to pieces.
"...GO BACK, YOU BASTARD!"
Lunging at Swallow in a flash, Bathory grabbed him by the waist and slammed him into the floor.
Crash!
The anger-fueled strike sent a massive shockwave through Cheite Castle, causing the entire structure to shudder.
Startled, Swallow bit his tongue. The impact caused the snacks stuffed into every nook and cranny of his coat to spill out. It was an immense amount, easily matching the entire stock stored within the castle.
"Where the hell did you sell your conscience?!"
The moment Swallow hit the ground, Bathory grabbed him by the collar and hurled him. Flying faster than a cannonball, he smashed through a wall and crashed into the room beyond.
Once again, Cheite Castle shook. The utter demolition of her own castle did nothing to quell Bathory's rage.
There were several reasons Cheite Castle was called an impregnable fortress, and one of them was its absurd restorative power. As long as Bathory's mana existed, the living castle would not yield to any external force.
In short, it was the ultimate boxing ring.
The watching retainers tried to hold Bathory back, but one of them was slapped so hard he flew straight out of the castle. He flew so spectacularly that the other retainers could only trace his trajectory as he soared toward the outskirts of the Astrisha Forest.
Terrified, the remaining retainers transformed into gray mist and scattered to various corners of the castle.
Tearing through the wall to appear before Swallow once more, Bathory barked, her expression menacing.
"I was an idiot for ever trusting you!"
"What about my snacks?!"
"Are those even your snacks?!"
Bathory threw a punch at the wall Swallow was leaning against. With a sharp crack, the air itself seemed to break as debris rained down.
Swallow looked at her, dumbfounded.
"...Were you always a physical fighter?"
"Shut up!"
The castle wall restored itself again. Bathory had to inhale and exhale deeply several times to calm herself down. Barely regaining a shred of reason, she shouted accusingly.
"Hey! I really wasn't going to say anything, but..."
"Then if you just keep quiet—"
Rumble!
A spear of pure magic slammed into the wall right next to Swallow's face, the scattering stone dust choking off his words. Belatedly recognizing the spell, Swallow shuddered.
It was the high-tier magic, <Spear of Longinus>. Seeing her casually toss around a spell like that, he realized she was truly out of her mind.
"Please, do speak."
"How long are you going to live like this?! Do you even know what kind of mess the world is in right now because of you?!"
The Calamidad incident had ended relatively peacefully, but if things had gone even slightly awry, it would have spiraled out of control. Of course, the giant turtle's southward migration was a natural, predetermined event, not a result of Swallow's impulsive actions.
"Let's put that aside for now! Even so! I thought you were finally managing your dungeon properly this time!"
"I'm doing fine on my own."
"Fine? Did you even hand out weapons to the newcomers? Did you set up defensive formations? You're not leaving all of that to Patrick, are you?"
"That's..."
—because Patrick is more competent than me.
He was about to say that, but fearing something even scarier than the <Spear of Longinus> would come flying his way, Swallow clamped his mouth shut.
"Do you even know that humans are marching toward you?"
Bathory barked out the names of the territories she had vaguely heard mentioned during the last meeting: Duke Anselm's Territory, Harald Duchy, the trading city of Sobir, Kalanis Viscountcy, Chesar Viscountcy, Corneli Barony, and Eiba Barony.
In short, she explained that the humans of those lands were almost certainly gathering forces to subjugate the Primordial Core.
"It's a force strong enough to bring down a Great Evil Cave! And the other kingdoms are making unusual moves, too! It's like they've been let off their leash now that someone destroyed Sand Hell... Seriously... Sigh..."
"...I didn't know that."
"What? You didn't know? Aren't you trading with the Leprechaun Merchant Guild? Didn't they tell you? Or did you just hear it and forget, as usual?"
"Ah."
Recalling something at the mention of the merchant guild, Swallow spoke.
"Come to think of it, the guild member was supposed to arrive a while ago."
"...What are you talking about?"
"They haven't shown up."
As Bathory pressed him, Swallow explained the situation. Upon hearing his explanation, her expression turned serious, her brow furrowing.
"It's annoying, but the egg retrieval is finished. I was willing to overlook a slight delay, since even they can make mistakes, but they're taking far too long."
"...And you still haven't heard from them, even with the Empire's situation being what it is?"
"Yeah."
Swallow stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes. Naturally, despite Bathory's violence, he didn't have a single scratch on him.
"Swallow," Bathory said, looking at him. "This is highly suspicious. Go check on everything I just mentioned right away."
*
The next day, the Younger Yaksha Sister returned to the Primordial Core.
"Sister!"
Her energetic voice bounced off the cave walls, echoing again and again.
Bursting with stamina, she ran without pause all the way to Room 2, a distance that would normally take several minutes.
Sitting gloomily at the far end of the room, the Older Yaksha Sister turned her head at the sound of the voice, only to find her younger sister already leaping toward her.
"...Hey!"
"I missed you!"
The fierce hug knocked the Older Yaksha Sister flat on her back, followed by dozens of seconds of affectionate nuzzling. Unable to watch the embarrassing display any longer, Patrick stepped in to stop them.
Only then did the Younger Yaksha Sister calm down, adopting a polite posture and bowing her head to Patrick.
"I apologize for causing you worry. I have returned safely from Cheite Castle."
"How is your condition?"
"I'm perfectly fine. My Vessel of Strength is completely clear, without a single blockage. I feel even lighter than before."
"Excellent."
Patrick stared intently at the Younger Yaksha Sister. The flow of Fighting Spirit she unconsciously emitted was steady, a sign of her stability. Her claim of being fully cured seemed to be true.
However, putting everything else aside...
"By the way, where is the Boss?"
"...He ordered me to go on ahead."
Swallow had not yet returned.
*
Swallow had not yet returned.
Long after the others had gone, Rene remained standing blankly in her spot, repeating the Younger Yaksha Sister's report in her mind.
"..."
The Younger Yaksha Sister hadn't walked all the way from Cheite Castle alone. By her side, instead of Swallow, was a tall, white-painted butler.
"I am Robert, the gatekeeper of Cheite Castle."
The butler, one of Bathory's retainers, had introduced himself right around the time Patrick asked about Swallow's whereabouts. His role was simply to act as a guide. He soon left with Patrick, saying he would explain the situation.
One by one, the monsters who had gathered in Room 2 returned to their own posts. Since Rene had no reason to stay either, she trudged away a few moments after Patrick left.
Her steps were heavy.
He hasn't returned yet...
This was unexpected. Had this ever happened before? The Lord Swallow she knew would have rushed back as quickly as possible, claiming he needed to rest.
"If you return late, Rene will..."
Rene's gaze drifted toward the pot.
The egg dish that had been boiling vigorously was slowly losing its heat, as if it had grown tired of waiting alongside her.
There's a limit to how long I can keep this simmering.
She might be able to stretch it for another day. But if she had to wait several more, it would surely spoil. It would be inedible. She would have to throw it away.
"...I worked so hard on it."
I made it so carefully with such precious ingredients.
Rene muttered to herself as she stirred the pot with a ladle. The generously added ingredients floated to the surface of the thick broth.
She could, of course, put it in the food storehouse where the Masterpiece 'Permafrost' was kept to preserve it. However, since it was a cooked dish, repeatedly reheating it would ruin the texture.
And above all, Rene hated the thought of a dish she had poured her heart into becoming frozen food.
She couldn't bring herself to distribute it to the other monsters just because it would be a waste, either. Even as she searched for other options, no answer came to mind.
She would have to throw it all away and make it again when he returned.
The surprise meal, along with all her preparations, had gone to waste.
"..."
As she grabbed the handles of the pot to clear it away, a sudden wave of emotion washed over her, and Rene hung her head.
She had put so much effort into this.
Not just the food; she had also prepared a few things to make herself look more appealing. She had trimmed her bangs for the first time in a while and had even dyed her nails with flower petals—a supposed trend among female monsters these days. When she had gone out to retrieve Calamidad's eggs, she had seen flowers blooming beautifully even in the winter and had made a hairpin out of them.
And yet, now...
Turning her head to check the hairpin, she saw that most of the flowers had withered. As if reflecting her own plight, they hung their heads miserably.
This is what happens when you try to be something you're not.
She was someone who didn't deserve to dress up. It suited her best to simply slaughter the humans entering the dungeon, drenched in their filthy blood.
Because she kept doing things that didn't suit her... that was why...
"...I must be losing my place."
Was this what it felt like to be cast aside?