A single carriage pushed its way up the mountain slope.
Inside, a woman in a black dress sat elegantly.
Her shimmering turquoise hair swayed, exuding a beauty that seemed to emit a faint glow.
“Aah, so boring. Is it still far to the gathering?”
She sighed, voicing her complaints.
She had already been sitting inside the carriage for hours on end.
Had the interior been comfortable, it might have been another story.
But even now, the carriage shook violently as it advanced.
It was not due to poor carriage quality.
The path she currently traveled was a mountain road.
Moreover, it was quite steep, the ground far from level, uneven with rocks and tree roots.
Thanks to that, the carriage jolted heavily once more.
“Hey, fuck! Can’t you drive this thing properly!”
Naturally, the ride was far from pleasant.
“My apologies.”
The woman vented her frustration on the coachman for no reason.
The coachman bowed his head, apologized calmly, and gently tugged the horse’s reins.
But that was all he did.
“Please bear with it, Lady Arcanea. We will arrive shortly.”
Then another person inside the carriage spoke.
She too was a woman, deferentially addressing the one across from her as “Lady Arcanea.”
“Yes. Seeing your face, Stia, I suppose I must endure.”
Arcanea and Stia.
At a glance, the two looked like an ordinary noble young lady and a maid attending her.
But they were not nobles.
They were not ordinary humans to begin with.
For starters, whenever they opened their mouths, the tongues that slipped out were extraordinary.
Their tongues were long and slender, forked at the tips, reminiscent of snakes.
And that wasn’t all.
Their skin bore a scaly luster, feeling both firm and smooth.
Some might find this attractive in its own way, but the biggest issue was their lower bodies.
Their lower halves were not human legs, but the bodies of serpents.
That was right.
While their upper bodies were those of alluring women, their lower bodies were those of snakes.
Their race was the Lamia, monsters born from the harmonious fusion of serpent and human traits.
Arcanea was the Dungeon Master who ruled the Lamia Dungeon.
And by right of her status as master, she was traveling to attend the social gathering hosted by the Demon Realm Merchant Association.
Stia, seated before her, merely followed her master as the dungeon’s aide to attend upon her.
“Still, it’s not bad. The mountain air near the Demon Realm is always refreshing, no matter when you breathe it.”
Arcanea poked her head out the window.
She always felt it—the air of the mountain range adjacent to the Demon Realm was sweet.
Even though they were only at the foothills now, it was on another level compared to the mountain where her dungeon was located.
‘How nice would it be to have a dungeon here.’
Then she would be close to the Demon Realm, gaining many advantages in trade with the Demon Realm Merchant Association.
She wouldn’t have unnecessary shipping costs added to goods just because of the distance.
But reality was not so kind.
Her dungeon was located far away—not just from the Demon Realm, but even from this mountain range.
However vast the range was, this place was the sole point connecting to the Demon Realm.
That said, the mountain range wasn’t the only place adjacent to the Demon Realm.
Beside the range lay a massive lake, and crossing it was far too dangerous.
‘Diyatt Lake…’
A great lake that supplied the highest quality ingredients.
But what lived beneath the surface was unknown.
Even the Demon Realm Merchant Association did not cross the lake.
Crossing it would drastically reduce transport time, yet they absolutely refused.
“Tch.”
In the end, she was the one in the unfortunate position.
Of course, the Association’s technology was advanced. They possessed many artifacts.
Using dimensional artifacts made trade easy, but she knew well that such things were reserved for VIPs—of which she was not one.
“I need to grow my dungeon quickly.”
Then the Association would pay more attention to her dungeon as well.
And if she could prove her worth at this social gathering somehow, that would suffice.
Just as Arcanea was thinking of a hopeful future, the carriage suddenly stopped.
“Hey! I told you to drive this thing prop—”
The moment she tried to shout in agitation.
She sensed something from outside.
“My apologies. It seems uninvited guests have interfered. I shall deal with them immediately in the Association’s name.”
The coachman bowed his head once more.
The coachman belonged to the Demon Realm Merchant Association.
Handling this much would take no time at all.
Just as Arcanea was about to wait quietly.
Human voices rang out from beyond the carriage.
“Don’t make this hard on yourselves and pay the toll quickly!”
“Yeah, hand over everything you’ve got and we’ll spare your lives. Keke.”
Arcanea looked outside through the small window.
Some humans had gathered—nine in number.
Their equipment did not look all that great; they were not adventurers.
They looked like a bandit group trying to shake down travelers crossing the mountain.
“!”
And the bandits also spotted Arcanea’s face as she peered through the small window.
Their faces lit up the moment they saw her.
“Hoo, a pretty young thing’s riding in there? Some noble lady, perhaps?”
“The carriage itself looks fancy. Seems we’ve caught a big one.”
“That girl’s mine first! I said I’m first!”
As they shouted chaotically, the coachman rose from his seat.
“Stop. I was bored; this is perfect timing.”
Arcanea stopped the coachman, opened the carriage door, and stepped outside.
“W-what!”
Seeing Arcanea’s bold appearance, the bandits exclaimed in surprise.
Not because she had come out willingly, but because her lower body was different from a human’s.
No matter how ignorant of monsters one might be, none could fail to notice a lower body made of serpent.
“Sh-shit! It’s a monster! Everyone run!”
Triggered by someone’s shout, the group immediately turned and began to flee.
Watching their retreating figures, Arcanea muttered.
“Tch, how dull.”
She smiled and lowered her body slightly.
And with blue eyes, she sized up the fleeing prey one by one.
Once all calculations were complete, she shot forward immediately.
Her trunk slid smoothly over the ground.
None could escape her grasp as she moved with agile speed.
The seven fleeing bandits were caught up to with absurd ease.
Only when venom was injected into their napes did they stop moving.
One of them swung a weapon, but it failed to pierce her scale-covered skin.
“Urg… ugh!”
In the end, every last one of them fell to Arcanea’s venom.
They despaired as they felt their bodies gradually stiffening.
Terrified at the thought of being devoured by that monster, they closed their eyes.
The entire process took less than a few minutes.
“…Too easy.”
Arcanea stuffed the stiffened bandits into her mouth while they were still alive.
While she enjoyed her feast, Stia neatly stacked the remaining bandits inside the carriage.
The journey was still long.
They would serve as Arcanea’s petty amusement along the way.
Attending to her master’s mood was also part of an aide’s duties.
After the brief incident, the carriage began moving again.
Once more, boredom and tedium found her.
And so time continued to pass.
Soon, the carriage she rode entered the Demon Realm.
Now, little remained until the destination.
At the same time, she grew excited.
“Who will entertain me this time?”
The very thought delighted her.
* * *
The interior of the venue where the social gathering was held was filled with abundant mystique and unique beauty.
The ceiling seemed made of starlight glittering within a darkness like the night sky.
Everything was magic, yet so intricate that it felt as though one were gazing at the real sky.
Massive marble pillars soared high, supporting the ceiling and creating a serene atmosphere, while around them were splendid candles and ornaments carved from gold.
Lavish dining tables were laid out, laden with rare delicacies.
Monsters belonging to the Association, dressed in tailcoats, approached the attendees with smiles, offering beverages.
In one corner, an artistic performance unfolded, rendering the atmosphere all the more splendid.
The performers were not monsters, but humans—none of whom looked to be in good condition.
Bruises covered their faces and bodies, and shackles bound their legs.
A single mistake could mean no future for them, so they played with their very lives on the line.
Of course, not a single attendee paid this any mind.
Rather, the participants freely ate and tried to acquaint themselves with the atmosphere.
And just as they were acclimating to the mood.
“Welcome, everyone! This Uroe Meori offers his gratitude to you all for making time in your busy schedules.”
A man appeared at the center.
He was a giant with dark brown skin, whose sheer strength was evident at a glance.
Having introduced himself as Uroe Meori, he continued.
“First, it is an honor to share this special moment with you all.
This exchange meeting is a special occasion to forge solidarity and alliances between various dungeons, and to create new challenges and experiences.”
Uroe Meori briefly raised a glass of alcohol and drank.
“A modest banquet has been prepared for you. Please enjoy to your heart’s content and mingle freely with others.
Introduce your dungeons and form alliances, or exchange goods and items. That is what this gathering is for. Keke.”
Bam!
“However, killing one another is strictly forbidden. In such cases, you will be placed on the Association’s blacklist without exception. Otherwise, you are free to do as you please.”
It was an extreme explanation.
They would turn a blind eye to injury, but taking a life was absolutely forbidden.
Those who knew what it meant to be on the Association’s blacklist listened to Uroe Meori in silence.
“Of course, various events have been prepared for the banquet. For example, confrontations between dungeons, shall we say? Why not conserve your strength and unleash it then?”
Hahaha.
Everyone responded enthusiastically.
The social gatherings hosted by the Association were not a first.
Rather, they had a long history, so even first-time attendees had heard many stories.
Such as the benefits awarded to dungeons that won the competitions, or the not-so-secret tales of unusual items appearing at the banquet’s auctions, and so on.
“We hope to form new connections here and step toward a bright future together.
Wishing you all a pleasant time, I now declare the exchange meeting hosted by the Demon Realm Merchant Association open!”
Following Uroe Meori’s words, the music rang out with even greater vigor.
It was the prelude announcing the full-scale beginning of the social gathering.
The Arc Lich, seated in place, had been listening intently to Uroe Meori.
Scratch.
The Arc Lich continued jotting something down in a notebook, nodding along.
Beside him, Azmo was appreciating the surrounding beauty.
“The Demon Realm Merchant Association is truly an incredible place.”
Azmo was intoxicated by the banquet’s atmosphere.
On the Earth where Azmo had been, there was no system like the Association.
Each dungeon had to survive on its own.
The fact that on this Eldorad Continent there existed an Association that cared for dungeons was nothing short of astonishing.
Of course, “trade” was more accurate than “care,” but the very existence of such an institution seemed remarkable.
Tap, tap.
The Arc Lich spoke to Azmo.
He suggested they split up and move about separately now.
“Indeed, that would be best. Then I shall look around elsewhere and rejoin you later.”
Azmo agreed with the Arc Lich and moved off.
The Arc Lich remained in his seat, still writing.
Then someone approached the lone Arc Lich.
Tap.
It was a skeleton.
Just an ordinary skeleton; it didn’t look particularly strong.
Perhaps merely an aide who had followed its master.
Having thought this far, the Arc Lich ignored the approaching skeleton and kept his eyes on his notebook.
Clack—
“?”
Then the skeleton placed something before the Arc Lich.
It was a shining, high-quality diamond.
The Arc Lich closed the notebook he had been looking at until moments ago.
Come to think of it, the purpose of this banquet was to network with other dungeons.
Forming a connection like this would surely help someday.
He glanced around.
Azmo was nowhere to be seen.
A nod—
The Arc Lich nodded once and discreetly pocketed the diamond.