- Baalcherit has visited Lee Ganghyeon’s dungeon.
The moment the notification rang out, I examined the dungeon.
Sure enough, Baalcherit was crossing through my dungeon.
Seeing her head toward the center of the dungeon, she was probably going to meet Celia.
I zoomed in on the screen and took a closer look.
“Hmm.”
Baalcherit was a familiar sight, since she had appeared in the draw twice before.
At the same time, for some reason, it felt as though I had actually met her in person.
Above all, Baalcherit’s outfit stood out.
Back when she first appeared in the draw, she had been wearing a black dress, but now she was dressed in rags and was holding some strange creature in her arms.
‘Did something happen?’
Well, that wasn’t what mattered right now.
What I needed to think about was why that Baalcherit had come to the dungeon.
What kind of scheme was Baalcherit, who had refused even when I tried to make her my adjutant, plotting?
Surely she wasn’t trying to surrender, was she?
“No, that makes no sense.”
Since she had a record of rejecting my offer, I couldn’t let my guard down for now.
“I should tell Celia.”
I didn’t know why she had come, but that didn’t mean it would be right to treat her as an enemy recklessly.
I immediately touched the keyboard on the screen and gave Celia an order.
【We have a guest, so treat her well.】
* * *
“This is the office of the one who manages the dungeon.”
Following Dambi’s guidance, Baalcherit arrived at the center of the dungeon.
And among its rooms was the office where the being who managed the dungeon resided.
A moment later, the firmly shut office door opened.
“…….”
The instant the door opened, Baalcherit felt her breath catch in her throat.
Seized by the tremendous power radiating from within the office, her body refused to move.
At the same time, curiosity surged within her as to who the being inside might be.
Baalcherit let out a deep breath and quietly clenched her trembling hand.
Considering the grandeur of the dungeon she had seen so far, it was clear that an unimaginably powerful being was waiting inside.
‘Just what sort of person commands a dungeon like this?’
At first, she had intended merely to accept Dambi and Rils’s kindness and rest comfortably for a few days.
But the things she had witnessed on her way here were by no means ordinary.
Goblins armed with high-grade equipment, along with various kinds of monsters, were guarding the dungeon.
Above all, the most shocking thing was the fact that there were two 5-star beings just like herself.
Just from the current situation, she could not even begin to guess how powerful the dungeon’s master might be.
‘Surely this isn’t a trap to capture me, is it?’
With a dungeon on this scale, she began to suspect it might be connected to the Demon Realm Trading Company.
If that were the case, shouldn’t she withdraw right away?
But Baalcherit shook her head.
Though she might currently be on the run, she possessed great pride as vampire royalty.
And yet she would flee because she feared an unidentified opponent?
That, at least, was something her pride would not allow.
Still, if there was one hope, it was that she had enough strength to preserve her life at the very least.
No matter how cornered she might be, Baalcherit was vampire royalty.
Even if the Goblin Lord and Death Knight were the same grade as her, in terms of pure combat strength, she was a step above them.
However, she might have to give up the Stew Slime in her arms.
No matter how strong Baalcherit was, she could not gauge the power of the dungeon’s master.
If worst came to worst, she planned to use the slime as bait to buy time.
“Gueh, gueeeh….”
As if it knew Baalcherit’s thoughts, the Stew Slime burst into sorrowful cries.
At that moment, Rils gently took her arm and whispered into her ear.
“The Chief Administrator is endlessly merciful. However, please never mention ‘that person.’”
It was true that she was nervous about the unidentified opponent.
However, Baalcherit did not take Rils’s advice very seriously.
Now that she thought about it, there was no need for her to be so submissive.
Baalcherit’s purpose from the very beginning was to find the owner of the voice, not to live here for the rest of her life.
As long as she confirmed they were not related to the Demon Realm Trading Company, there was no need for her to lower herself.
At last, from the office whose door had opened, a skeleton knight walked out.
“Clack clack!”
It conveyed that Rils and Dambi were to step back.
“Clack clack, clack.”
Then it bowed politely toward Baalcherit.
It meant that only Baalcherit could enter.
“Then I’ll see you later.”
“If fate allows, we shall meet again later.”
After offering Baalcherit brief words of encouragement, Rils and Dambi left.
Baalcherit also gave a slight nod and strode into the office.
“……!”
And in that instant, the sight spread before her eyes naturally stole her breath away.
‘A succubus.’
In the middle of the office stood a succubus, flaunting a bewitching figure as her long silver hair flowed behind her.
The two horns rising from her head and the body wrapped in a red dress were truly alluring.
She could be called the very pinnacle of beauty.
But what captivated Baalcherit was not merely her appearance.
She could not help but swallow her breath at the tremendous power radiating from her.
‘Such power…!’
This was the first such powerhouse she had encountered after the owner of the voice.
Could she be the Succubus Queen?
But the Succubus Queen’s whereabouts had been unknown for a long time.
Her mind thrown into confusion, Baalcherit simply stood there blankly without saying a word.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Riche. My name is Celia.”
Coming to her senses at the gentle voice, Baalcherit quickly smiled as if nothing were wrong.
“I-It is also my first time meeting you.”
Since she was directly facing a being overwhelmingly superior to herself, she could not help but have a tremor in her voice.
Most importantly, the other party already knew her alias.
At this point, she was faced with a dilemma.
Should she introduce herself using her alias, or should she reveal her real name?
She wavered for a moment, but soon made up her mind.
It did not seem necessary to go so far as to hide her identity with an alias.
After all, the alias was only being used to avoid the Trading Company’s eyes.
An opponent with that level of power would have no reason to concern herself with the Trading Company’s opinion.
The worry she had had just moments ago—that this place might be connected to the Trading Company—vanished completely.
“This one’s name is Baa—”
Just as she was about to speak, Celia cut Baalcherit off.
“My apologies. I’ve just received an urgent message.”
A shadow appeared behind Celia.
“!”
At that sight, Baalcherit felt her heart drop.
Those shadows were monsters not widely known to the world.
And they had one thing in common: they were monsters the Demon Realm Trading Company favored using.
Because they could move covertly without restrictions of time and space, they were suited not only for information gathering but also assassination.
Why were such shadows in this dungeon?
‘Could this dungeon truly be connected to the Trading Company?’
As Baalcherit stared at the shadows with worried eyes, Celia smiled.
“Ah, these are my subordinates. They’re ones I brought over from the Trading Company.”
In truth, she had seized them by force, but Baalcherit took Celia’s words at face value.
When one thought about it, there was no rule saying only the Trading Company could use shadows.
For a being of that caliber, the Trading Company must surely have granted various conveniences.
The Demon Realm Trading Company was an organization that traded with every dungeon.
In that way, there was a fundamental difference between a dungeon that traded with the Trading Company and a dungeon that obeyed the Trading Company’s orders unconditionally.
And she judged that this dungeon did trade with the Trading Company, but was not a dungeon operated by it.
Then she watched as Celia calmly gave orders to the shadow.
Just what could be urgent business for a being with this level of power?
As someone who had once managed a dungeon herself, Baalcherit was curious.
“I see. So Baalcherit’s whereabouts cannot be found….”
“?”
What was that supposed to mean?
Why had her name come out of the other party’s mouth?
For a moment, Baalcherit wondered if she had misheard and pricked up her ears again.
“I’ll catch Baalcherit for now, so tell them to focus on tracking the Inquisitor’s movements.”
“Hiiik!”
What did she mean, she was going to catch her?
And what was this about an Inquisitor?
Goosebumps rose over her at the sudden turn of events.
Just what was happening?
Soon after, the shadow that had received its orders vanished, and Celia turned her head back toward Baalcherit.
“Now then, shall we resume our conversation? You were in the middle of saying something earlier. Your name was Baa—”
“Ah… ah!”
Momentarily flustered, Baalcherit waved her hand and cut Celia off.
Whatever the situation was, she absolutely could not say her real name.
“That’s right! This one’s name is Baaro Riche. Riche! That was what I was about to say.”
If she had revealed her real name, things could have become truly terrifying.
Hiding her flustered state, Baalcherit gauged Celia’s reaction.
Surely she hadn’t realized her identity, had she?
There was probably a greater chance that she had not.
After all, hadn’t the other party called her Riche as soon as she saw her?
While watching Celia’s reaction, Baalcherit quickly took a seat.
But Celia continued speaking calmly, as if nothing were wrong.
“I’ve prepared tea. Please have some.”
When Celia gestured, the skeleton knight brought out tea.
Concealing her trembling hands, Baalcherit accepted the cup.
But after taking one sip, her expression twisted.
‘Ugh, it tastes awful….’
To a vampire’s palate, tea that was not blood was thoroughly unsuitable.
For a moment, she even furrowed her brow, but after checking Celia’s reaction, she quickly put on a smile.
“By the way, Miss Riche, what brings you here? I heard you came from the Free City Alliance.”
Celia asked directly from the start.
At that question, Baalcherit hesitated for a moment.
Should she reveal the true reason she had come here?
After a brief deliberation, she decided to tell only part of it.
Perhaps that succubus might know something about the owner of the voice.
If so, she would be able to set out to find that person at once.
“The truth is, this one has someone she absolutely wishes to meet. I was pursuing that person’s whereabouts.”
Stories of the past flowed from Baalcherit’s lips.
“The problem is that I do not know that person’s appearance or identity. One day, that person suddenly spoke to me. I have no clue other than that voice, so that person is truly mysterious….”
As Baalcherit began her story, Celia’s eyes wavered for an instant.
Though she quickly hid her emotions, that fleeting moment was caught by Baalcherit’s eyes.
But she did not pay it much mind.
“So the owner of the voice… once came to find you, Miss Riche?”
“Th-That’s right! I came here in order to find the owner of the voice. I absolutely need that person! Do you know anything?”
In that instant, heat entered Baalcherit’s voice.
If only she could find the owner of the voice, she wanted to apologize for her past mistake and ask for another chance.
But finding that being was as difficult as plucking a star from the sky.
She could only desperately hope that Celia, standing before her, knew of that person’s existence.
“I see… So something like that happened.”
Celia sympathized with Baalcherit’s words, yet shook her head.
“Unfortunately, I’m afraid I don’t know. I truly wish I could help you.”
But as expected, the answer she received was that Celia did not know either.
Disappointed, Baalcherit lowered her head.
“I-It’s all right. This is my problem, so it cannot be helped.”
“…….”
An awkward silence lingered for a while.
“Gueh?”
Only the Stew Slime in Baalcherit’s arms made a sound.
As the silence continued, Celia spoke first.
“Ah, I heard from Miss Dambi. You have nowhere to go for the time being?”
“…That is correct. Would it be all right if this one imposed on you here for a little while?”
Baalcherit answered in a weak voice.
Even if she left the dungeon immediately and went to the royal capital, she had no idea whether she could truly find the owner of the voice.
For Baalcherit, it seemed safer to shamelessly stay here for the time being instead.
With this level of military strength, even the Trading Company would not be able to move against this place readily.
So it was perfect for hiding herself for a while and refining her plans.
“Well, since Master has also permitted it, let’s do that. In exchange, while you stay here, I would like you to fulfill your role as well, Miss Riche.”
It meant that in exchange for staying in the dungeon, she was to do something useful.
“Of course! If there is anything this one is needed for, she shall do it without hesitation!”
Of course, as Baalcherite, she too felt that simply standing there and taking it would be humiliating, so she could sympathize with Celia's words.
But as she accepted it so willingly, something nagged at her.
A word that had appeared in Celia's words just moments ago.
'Master.'
Why had her opponent used that word?
She had spoken as though there existed a being higher than herself, who managed the dungeon.
Wasn't the succubus the master who managed the dungeon?
'Wait... if not the master...?'
Come to think of it, before coming to the office, Rilse had mentioned a general manager.
Her mind was in turmoil.
'General manager....'
One didn't necessarily have to be the master to manage a dungeon.
Neither Dambi nor Rilse had called that succubus the dungeon's Master.
'W-wait! If she isn't the master, then who is the real master...?'
She had always thought the succubus was the dungeon's master. But if not, then who on earth was the master of this dungeon?
Baalcherite observed Celia intently.
She was curious, but she simply couldn't muster the courage to ask.
To think that Celia could possess such an aura despite not being the dungeon's master.
'Just what in the world is the true nature of this dungeon?'
If there truly was a master of this dungeon, just how incredible would that being be?
Baalcherite suddenly thought of the one who owned that voice.
* * *
Once Baalcherite left, Celia remained alone, lost in thought.
"Baalcherite...."
She had used the name Riche, but it had been easy to tell it was an alias.
The power she felt from Baalcherite was no ordinary thing.
She was distinctly different from other vampires.
She could tell that much even by comparing her to Dambi or Aren immediately.
Celia had simply played along because Baalcherite had given an alias to hide her identity.
But there was one thing about Baalcherite that grated on Celia's nerves.
It wasn't that Baalcherite had spoken to her casually.
That much was not a problem.
But this one thing weighed on her mind.
"Baalcherite is looking for the Master...."
She had said she suddenly heard a voice from thin air.
Celia realized intuitively from those words.
That the voice Baalcherite mentioned was precisely her Master.
In an instant, memories of the past flashed through her mind.
That moment when she had been saved by Him.
But she had no intention of revealing that truth as it was.
She could not let anyone come between her and the Master.
Especially not some mosquito bitch like Baalcherite.
"I would never hand my Master over to an insect-like wretch."
A deep yearning boiled up from within Celia's heart.
She wanted to eliminate Baalcherite right away, but the Master's order came to mind.
He had ordered her to treat the guest well.
"I'm sure the Master has some kind of plan as well."
She was a servant who existed to serve the Master.
His words were absolute.
Thus, no tragedy of defying His words with personal feelings would occur.
Still, Celia had one source of comfort.
The fact that Baalcherite had ultimately failed to be chosen by the Master.
In a position where even 5-star Baalcherite had been rejected, she stood proudly beside the Master with her 3-star status.
Leaving aside simply being chosen or not, this difference was colossal.
"As expected. I've realized that what the Master truly wants is me!"
At the time, Celia had been sealed underground by the Order.
But the Master had not only rescued her when she was a mere 3-star, but had guided her until now.
"That grace alone is enough."
All that remained was to make her relationship with the Master even more unshakeable.
So that no one could come between them.
Forever.
Celia immediately called for the skeleton knight.
"Bring Mr. Kazel."
"Clack!"
"And Baalcherite—no, Riche—assign her to Mr. Death Knight and have her do fortification work. She ought to earn her keep, shouldn't she?"
Shortly after, Kazel revealed himself.
"You called, General Manager."
Kazel von Rosenberg.
He had been a baron of the Seil Kingdom, but now he was a man sworn to Celia and the dungeon.
As soon as Kazel arrived, Celia got straight to the point.
"We shall conquer the Free Cities Alliance. And we shall offer it to the great Master."
"Understood. I shall prepare the materials related to the Free Cities Alliance."
Celia intended to show him.
The fact that the one the Master needed was not some vampire like her, but herself.
"The Master's love is mine alone."
She would do anything to achieve that.
Even if it meant conquering a continent.
* * *
- General Manager Celia has proposed the conquest of the Eldorad Continent.
"?"
What was going on?
He couldn't hide his bewilderment at the sudden alarm.
Right before this alarm appeared, Celia had clearly been talking with Baalcherite.
'What the hell did those two talk about?'
What conversation could have led them to the conclusion of conquering the Eldorad Continent?
'Don't tell me she visited the dungeon to cause trouble?'
It was a reasonable suspicion in its own way.
There was no way Celia, who had been composed before Baalcherite arrived, would suddenly think up such a goal.
"Should I kick Baalcherite out?"
There was definitely something going on in the dungeon.
And then, another alarm went off.
- Arcanea, Master of the Lamia Dungeon, has declared war on Lee Ganghyeon's dungeon.
- Form an army to stop Arcanea's forces.
What?
His head was starting to hurt at the current situation.
A lamia was a monster with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a snake.
Why would such a monster suddenly declare war on his dungeon?
"Could Baalcherite really be a spy?"
The situation was fitting together far too perfectly.