The atmosphere of the banquet gradually began to heat up.
It was filled with dazzling lights and mouthwatering food.
Those in attendance were enjoying themselves, intoxicated by the splendid and elegant mood.
They were swept up in the atmosphere, but they did not forget why they had come here.
Some had attended in hopes of forming ties with many dungeons.
Could those ties serve as a foundation for solidarity, and perhaps even lead to an alliance?
They harbored such hopes.
Others had come in order to overcome the difficulties currently facing them.
Thus, their reasons for attending high society differed from one another, but they all had one thing in common.
They sought their own interests.
Whatever their reasons might be, the fact that they moved for their own benefit did not change.
And in order to achieve their goals, they could not simply sit still.
Indeed, even now, they were moving quickly.
In particular, at this gathering, the appearance of one being had quickened the footsteps of the undead monsters.
“Clack-clack?”
(Did you hear?)
“What, do, you, mean?”
Even now, in a corner, a skeleton and a mummy monster whose rotting body was wrapped in bandages were whispering to each other.
“Clack-clack-clack.”
(An extraordinary personage has attended this gathering.)
“Extra, ordinary, personage?”
The skeleton glanced around, then whispered into the mummy’s ear.
“Clack… clack.”
(Don’t be shocked… None other than the Arch Lich himself has descended.)
“…!”
And one name kept rising and falling from their mouths.
The Arch Lich.
Who was the Arch Lich?
Was he not an undead monster of the high rank of 5-star?
The moment they heard that name, what they had to do was obvious.
They had to immediately seek out the place where the Arch Lich was.
Was he truly such an extraordinary being?
In front of the table where the Arch Lich sat, all sorts of monsters were lined up in a long queue.
Most of them were undead monsters.
They were all desperate to somehow create a point of contact with the Arch Lich.
After all, merely forming a connection with the Arch Lich would more than fulfill their purpose in attending this social gathering.
But it was no easy task.
Even now, there were not a few who turned away and left with faces full of despair.
“Clack-clack—”
(They say you need money if you want to form a connection with the Arch Lich.)
That was right.
On the table where the Arch Lich sat, all sorts of gold coins and jewels were piled up.
They were all a kind of offering presented to the Arch Lich.
If the Arch Lich accepted the gift, a connection would be formed.
“Clack-clack-clack!”
(And your name goes into the Arch Lich’s book!)
The moment the mummy heard that, its eyes sparkled.
Powerful beings usually made promises in words alone.
But the Arch Lich before them was different.
He was actually writing names into his own book.
What could that mean?
If one’s name was written in the Arch Lich’s book, it meant a connection had certainly been formed.
As if having made up its mind, the mummy dragged its bandaged body to the very back of the line.
The line was quite long, but if it could form a connection this time, it would surely be of great help someday.
However, contrary to their thoughts, the Arch Lich did not place much importance on connections.
“……”
Rather, after coming here, he had come to a major realization.
And based on that realization, he was currently continuing to write something in his notebook.
- Ghoul Dungeon, located near the Free City Alliance. Farther than expected.
It was information about the other party’s dungeon.
Before attending the social gathering, Celia had told him.
Gather as much information as possible.
In order to carry out her command, the Arch Lich kept his hands moving without a moment’s rest.
His records were unhesitating, thanks to the realization he had just gained.
He had discovered a way to obtain information about the other party while also collecting gifts.
Clink—
Even now, a considerable number of gold coins were placed on the table.
The Arch Lich nodded and began writing down the name and dungeon location the other party told him in his notebook.
Thanks to that, the pockets of his high-quality blue robe were packed full of gold coins and jewels.
Nod.
The Arch Lich gave a slight nod and wore a satisfied expression at his modest earnings.
* * *
- The Arch Lich has gained enlightenment at the social gathering.
- The Arch Lich’s [Dungeon Monster Enhancement System] has been unlocked.
“Oh, what’s this?”
The Arch Lich I had sent to the [Dungeon Social Circle] had gained enlightenment.
“As expected, sending the Arch Lich was the right answer.”
Unfortunately, however, there were no suitable skills or traits to enhance for the Arch Lich right away.
“Hmm…”
There was plenty of time anyway.
If a trait or skill suited to the Arch Lich appeared, I could enhance it then.
After checking that alert, I immediately called Maru.
“Maru, let’s start getting ready to head out.”
Maru, who had returned from the continent of Eldorad, had now transcended into a 5-star skeleton.
Not an ordinary skeleton, but a Skeleton Paladin.
Thanks to that, all of the undead monsters’ chronic weaknesses had been offset.
If I went through dungeons together with the current Maru, he would be an enormous help.
‘A Skeleton Paladin wielding a demonic sword.’
It sounded contradictory somehow, but it was true.
With Maru as he was now, he could likely hunt Villain Hunters with ease.
And my goal, too, was villain hunting.
“Shall we slowly go level up the dungeon?”
* * *
The banquet had ripened before anyone realized it.
While everyone moved for their own interests, there were also those who simply stayed still and enjoyed the atmosphere.
The succubi and incubi were just like that.
“Isn’t this social gathering truly splendid and charming?”
One succubus began speaking.
She elegantly tilted her wineglass and brought it to her lips.
But she did not drink it in any ordinary way.
She swept back her long hair once, emphasizing her body.
And it was not only the succubi.
The incubi were the same.
All of them displayed their charms while engaging in a fierce battle of wits.
“Haha, it truly is an amazing place. Those magnificent paintings and sculptures are so beautiful I want to place them in my dungeon.”
Separate from that fight, Azmo plainly revealed his honest thoughts.
This was truly a beautiful place.
He wanted to bring those works of art into his dungeon right away.
“Mr. Azmo, is this your first time at this social gathering?”
One succubus showed interest in Azmo.
As she spoke, she subtly drew closer to him.
And she was not the only one.
Most of the succubi gathered here were looking at Azmo.
“……”
When they looked at Azmo, something in their hearts ached.
They did not know why they felt that way.
But they could be certain of one thing.
Azmo was somehow different.
From him, they felt an aura and atmosphere that could not be sensed from other incubi.
Should they call it the atmosphere of a beast that seduced others without discrimination?
That was precisely what drew them in.
The problem was that some of the incubi felt that way as well.
‘How could I feel this way toward another incubus…?’
They were confused by the current situation.
Without even knowing that this was Azmo’s skill, [Distorted Fascination].
The small gathering of succubi and incubi was peaceful.
And as they exchanged various stories, they naturally disappeared from the banquet hall.
Where they headed was a secret that could not be spoken.
While each of them enjoyed the banquet in their own way, there was one person who looked upon it with displeasure.
It was Arkanea.
Arkanea.
Her race was lamia; her upper body had the form of a woman, while her lower body was that of a snake.
And at present, she did not like this banquet.
‘How did it come to this…!’
At the table where she sat, there was no one but her adjutant.
Not a single person came to visit.
“Ghk…”
It was humiliating.
There was nothing more humiliating than one’s presence fading in high society.
To make matters worse, the Succubus Queen had not attended this banquet.
Since she had not shown herself for a long time already, Arkanea had expected she would be absent.
That meant she did not have to worry about one of her most powerful competitors.
And another competitor, the 5-star vampire Baalcherit.
She, too, was a powerful being.
Powerful beings were always treated preferentially at gatherings.
That was why Arkanea had regarded Baalcherit as her greatest rival.
But that did not last long either.
Because Baalcherit’s current situation was not very good.
It was only hearsay, but the White Order was said to be subjugating surrounding forces in order to keep her in check.
At first, Arkanea had thought it was nothing more than a rumor, but seeing Baalcherit’s dark expression, she realized it was true.
And the reaction appeared immediately.
Baalcherit might have been famous at the previous gathering, but not this time.
Not a single monster approached her as she sat in the corner.
Even the vampires, Baalcherit’s own race, had come to ignore her.
Everyone had already heard the news.
That Baalcherit was currently in danger.
The vampires were probably holding themselves back for fear that if they grew close to her, sparks might fly onto them as well.
‘Still, she had the gall to show her face.’
Right now, Baalcherit must have been busy blocking the Order’s attacks and defending her dungeon, yet she had attended the social gathering.
‘Well, she had no choice but to come.’
Arkanea understood.
Even if her own dungeon were in danger, she would probably attend the social gathering no matter what.
The gathering hosted by the merchant guild was no ordinary meeting.
Simply attending granted several benefits, one of which was that the merchant guild would take responsibility for protecting one’s dungeon.
Thanks to that, dungeon masters could attend the social gathering without worry.
If Baalcherit, who had fire at her feet, had any sense, Arkanea was certain she would not have overlooked that point.
Only then would the merchant guild take responsibility and protect her dungeon.
Well, even so, Baalcherit was already being treated as if she did not exist.
“Tsk.”
But a problem had arisen for Arkanea as well.
In this banquet, two beings of 5-star rank had effectively been removed from the running, and yet even her presence had vanished.
“How dare they ignore me…!”
A banquet where 5-star beings had disappeared.
On top of that, she herself was in a position where she would soon reach 5-star.
She had believed without a doubt that she would become a standout presence at this banquet.
She had wanted to reveal her unrivaled presence and show her power to the merchant guild.
Then the merchant guild would surely look favorably upon her dungeon.
She had certainly thought so.
But that thought had been distorted by one being.
“Where did a bastard like that even appear from?”
Arkanea muttered in an irritable voice.
Her eyes were directed elsewhere, specifically at the table where the Arch Lich was.
“Stia.”
“Yes, Lady Arkanea.”
Arkanea gave a secret order to her adjutant, Stia.
“Once this banquet is over—no. Use our surrounding connections and find out everything there is to know about that fellow.”
“Understood.”
Upon hearing her master’s command, Stia immediately rose from her seat.
“Where has he been hiding himself all this time?”
There had certainly been no Arch Lich at the previous banquet.
And yet an Arch Lich had appeared at this one.
It was not as if a 5-star being could suddenly fall from the sky, so this made no sense.
‘Where on earth did that bastard roll in from?’
If there was one fortunate thing, it was that her opponent was an Arch Lich.
Liches were fundamentally undead monsters that used magic, but their power was not especially strong.
The only skill that was somewhat useful was Corpse Explosion, and he could not use that freely here.
“In any case, all I have to do is show my power in the dungeon battle.”
Among the upcoming events, there was a dungeon battle.
It was a match to determine which dungeon possessed the strongest forces.
The dungeon that achieved good results there would receive the merchant guild’s protection.
She only needed to show her power there.
“I’ll show them that I stand above that bag of bones.”
In addition, she was someone who had attended the social gathering every time.
There was no way a newcomer like him would have many connections at the gathering.
As time passed, that point would become significant.
“Yes, when that time comes, the tide will turn in my favor.”
Arkanea smiled faintly.
She intended to show them just how terrifying it was when a snake harbored jealousy.
However, she did not know.
“Oh, Sir Arch Lich! What a coincidence to meet you here. Chwik!”
“Clack?”
The Arch Lich turned his head toward the voice calling him.
There stood the orc Skoll.
And Skoll, too, was an orc who looked up to the same master as himself.
“As it happens, all of the Ruler’s trusted retainers have been invited, so what a wonderful thing this is!”
Skoll spoke with a smile.
He, too, had been invited to this social gathering for the first time, but he thought it was only natural for a subordinate of the Ruler.
That was not all.
Skoll also told the Arch Lich that all four dungeon masters under Celia’s management, who served the great being, had attended the social gathering.
The fact that, while sharing the same master’s embrace, the Arch Lich’s allies had begun their debut in high society in earnest…
Arkanea did not know this even in her dreams.