It's Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

* * *

“「Practical Applications of Magic Volume 3」… This is here too.”

These days, Sonia was living a daily life of practically living in the library that Libertas had allowed her to access.

The magic lessons she received from her master were 3 times a week.

They were conducted mainly as practical exercises, and she invested almost all of her time in them, except for some time allocated to dungeon management, sleeping and eating.

This was because her growth rate these days was so fast that even she could clearly tell.

‘I’m not sure if I should feel this way in this situation… but honestly, it’s fun.’

‘Curse’, which she had the best talent for, and ‘Ice’ elemental magic, which had similarities to such curses while having excellent power in both offense and defense.

These were the two things Sonia was now learning from the Dungeon Lord, and she felt that she was rapidly growing every time she received a lesson.

She vaguely felt that this wasn’t just temporary.

‘I don’t know if I’m a genius as Master said… but just being able to do something is so good.’

Feeling growth naturally becomes the driving force for learning.

Moreover, she had been frail physically since the age of 4 in her memories, so she had low immunity to the sense of achievement from self-development.

In the end, intoxicated by her own growth that she hadn’t properly felt for over 15 years, she became so immersed in books and learning that it looked like she was confining herself to the library.

That was the same today, but…

“That place…”

Today, Sonia ended up entering a place other than the bookshelf she practically lived in every time she came to the library.

It was not the well-organized magic archives but a messy bookshelf on which books with unknown subjects were haphazardly inserted.

It was a place where all the magazines and novels of this world were roughly gathered and put in.

These things that Libertas had collected for her own amusement but ended up just gathering dust, pushed aside by magic books, now caught Sonia’s eye.

“「Secrets of the Ancient Empire」, 「The Truth of Corrupted Priests Hidden in History」, 「Directory of Historic Heroes」… There are many I’ve never seen before…”

If Libertas had seen her current appearance, she might not have understood. Wondering ‘How can her gaze turn away from magic to other things?’

This was due to a fundamental difference in perception of magic between Libertas and Sonia.

While for Libertas, magic was a kind of ‘superpower’, a completely new element she had never seen in daily life, and at the same time a toy—

For Sonia, although it was difficult to see in daily life, she had the recognition that it was a universal study, not completely new like for Libertas.

‘I can’t live just looking at one kind of book every day. Should I pick a few?’

If people could just be absorbed in something unconditionally once they became interested and decided, the word ‘three-day passion’ wouldn’t exist in this world.

Fortunately for the current Sonia, novels were just a break, not another three-day passion.

“「The Elf’s Prophecy」 and 「Legends of Forgotten Gods」 look interesting… 「The Golden Ratio of Outer Space」. This seems to be a magical collection. And…”

There was also talk that miscellaneous books excluding magic books, could be taken to one’s room, so Sonia, who was looking for a sixth book after picking five books to read before bed from what was left over from reading in the library today.

Her fingertips, which had been moving without hesitation, suddenly stopped and stiffened over one book.

“This is…”

It was because she found an out-of-place title among the books.

“「Secrets of Noble Families」…? What kind of book is this?”

A small book with a very luxurious appearance, decorated with gold leaf on a black background.

Perhaps because of the word ‘Secrets’.

With her finger stopped over that book, which somehow stimulated curiosity, Sonia looked at other books around it.

Just in case there might be a hint.

“Next to it is… 「24 Short Stories Loved by Troubadours」…? I should organize this later if possible.”

However, because this area, which wasn’t Libertas’s area of interest, like magic or swordsmanship, was so disorganized, looking at other books inserted next to it didn’t give any clues about what this book was.

Tap. Tap.

“Well, I might as well take a look.”

Sonia, who had fallen into brief contemplation while needlessly tapping the book with her finger, put 「Secrets of Noble Families」 into her arms as well, thinking she could just put it back if it weren’t to her taste.

Rustle.

Floop. Click.

Thus began her immersion in study and reading.

Like her master Libertas always did when reading books, Sonia brought tea and snacks from the refreshment room adjacent to the library and spent a moment of her own time among more than ten books.

As the outside sunlight shone through magic in the space created for reading next to the library.It was a very good time and place to forget the reality that this was inside a dungeon and she was practically captured.

If someone had asked her which was more fun, studying or reading without any meaning, she would have said both very confidently and brightly now.

“Ah. This was here too.”

Until she read that book.

“There’s… a little time left. Then, shall I take a quick look?”

Sonia, who confirmed that there was time left before dinner time, left 「Secrets of Noble Families」 along with other books she hadn’t finished reading yet, inserted feather bookmarks into all the other books, and returned them to their places.

And then.

Thud!

She opened the book randomly once to look at its contents, then closed it faster than when she opened it and put it down.

It was because the page she had opened contained a picture meticulously drawn by a magician with some secret hobby.

‘It’s an obscene book…!!’

「Secrets of Noble Families」 was a book composed of content about ‘secret nights’ that anyone with a bit of quick wit could immediately guess.

The reason the exterior was luxurious was naturally because it was a book read by nobles.

[Why is it all about love affairs when they write novels? Eve.]

[Tack!]

[You’re saying that’s fantasy? All this adultery here too?]

Well, it was common to include such content in novels of this world.

From ordinary love stories between men and women to heroes’ concubinage or real stories re-edited as R-rated, and even the infidelity of a hero and a queen of a country that made Libertas chuckle.

For Sonia, who wasn’t even a townsperson, let alone a noble, encountering such a book would require a complicated process of learning about its existence after many years of living a normal life and then separately requesting and obtaining it. Still, noble libraries were full of such books.

[…Clatter.]

[You have nothing to be sorry about, though that’s not your fault. Anyway, since I bought it, I won’t throw it away… but there’s no need to organize it either. With erotica on almost every page.]

The book that Libertas would have thought about once, even if she wouldn’t have hesitated much to purchase it if she knew the content.

So it was no coincidence that such books were mixed among the many novels she bought indiscriminately.

It was almost inevitable that Sonia, who was trying to read through all the books in the library, would encounter some of these obscene books.

Of course, Libertas had never anticipated this situation.

“Whew, whew…”

Sonia, who shook off the shock with deep breaths while her face flushed red, immediately picked up the book and inserted it back in its original place.

It was a time when she should be intoxicated with knowledge.

A brief intellectual deviation might be allowed, but this was poison and could never be accepted.

…That’s what she thought.

“…”

But why couldn’t her hand move while touching that book inserted in the bookshelf?

Sonia glared at her fingertips while desperately denying the pounding in her chest.

「…The mistress who is always said to be gentle, kind, and sweet to everyone. However, with a stern voice unlike her usual self, she ordered her maid…」

「…The maid is also from a noble family. However, ignoring the authority contained in her blood, she listened to the mistress’s order that came down…」

Curiosity about a new world she had never encountered before.

The unique thrill of those who peek at taboos and deviations.

And another emotion and its relationship that she herself didn’t know.

Those three emotions ultimately made her pull out that book again, inserting the bookmark she had been holding in her other hand into the scene she had been reading.

‘Just once… just one book…’

Thus Sonia left the library holding two novels and one obscene book, a total of three books in her arms.

Her mind was full of pink curiosity that hadn’t yet been resolved.

However, if she had known that this book would be the starting point for two major changes, she wouldn’t have easily tried to satisfy that curiosity.

* * *

“Sonia.”

“Sister…!”

While walking to her room with the books in her arms along with the meal provided by the dungeon, Sonia turned her body with a glad smile when she heard someone calling her.

It was the voice of an acquaintance from the time when pain and memories coexisted due to her excessive talent and someone she thought might be able to plan hope for the future.

“Sister Maria…?”

An encounter after 5 days since their last meeting.

However, as soon as she saw her, Sonia felt her neck stiffen, and her visio shakes violently from side to side before she felt glad.

With a disheveled maid outfit, unkempt and messy hair, and eyes with dark circles and bloodshot.

Maria’s appearance was so broken that it was clear she was on the verge of becoming a wreck.

Just like Sonia herself when she was tormented by her constitution.

“Sister, why do you look like this…? Are you hurt somewhere? Or sick?”

“No… I’m healthy.”

Sonia unknowingly grabbed Maria’s empty hand and spoke as if pressing her. However, she soon dropped her hand weakly at Maria’s touch that forcefully pushed away the grabbed part.

Although most of Maria’s abilities were sealed, she could overwhelm Sonia thanks to the strength she originally had, which was one reason.

And the cold ‘indifference’ contained in that touch was another.

“Sister…?”

Sonia’s voice flowed out, slightly trembling, as if she had felt something.

The voice answering her was as harsh as if scratching against metal.

The owner of that voice’s eyes was also mercilessly revealing something boiling along with reddened whites.

“You’ve been looking very good lately. You’ve even gained weight. Sonia.”

“I… I’ve recovered from my… illness.”

“I see. Your physical strength must have returned a lot too. You probably won’t get sick often now.”

“It seems… so. Now I won’t need to… lie in the hospital with bandages for a long time after getting hurt…”

“I see…”

After Maria’s brief affirmation, the two maintained silence for a moment.

However, Sonia felt that she had to say something here. Even while not yet clearly knowing what it was, she had to do something.

“Um, unn…”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t call me Sister.”

“What…?”

A heartless voice cutting off words like a thrown dagger.

However, Sonia, who didn’t understand the meaning contained in that concise statement, forgot what she was going to say and ended up questioning back.

“If you were going to come, you should have come two days ago. That was the peak.”

“What do you mean…?”

“My parents. Sonia. Remia’s and my parents. If they had been contacted, they should have come long ago. But they didn’t.”

Sonia, who finally barely understood her words, wanted to interrupt Maria’s speech somehow.

Of course, she knew the cause. She just couldn’t bring herself to say it in advance, fearing Maria would break.

But she felt that she had to say it now. That Libertas had already done something to that ‘contact.’

“That’s Master, no, Liber…”

“Even the scheduled signal isn’t coming, Sonia…”

A habit of speaking later, standing behind all others, acquired from always relying on others.

That was the problem.

“If that man was alive, the signal that had to be sent every week has been cut off. Right after I told you…!!”

“I… I’m not…! Sister!”

Maria, who had no intention of stopping her words, continued to press Sonia—trapped in her own thoughts, words, and convictions.

It was only then that she finally raised her voice as if squeezing it out, but…

“What…!”

Everything was already over.

“What are you not!!!”

Bang!!

“Kyaa…!”

A trajectory of sunlight drawn once between the two.

The line created by the magic power rising like boiling from Maria’s two hands was swung cleanly as if cutting something off.

Rustle!

-Clatter!

What blocked it was a skeleton holding a short bow and short sword.

Mire. Another protagonist unknown to Maria.

Seeing her, Maria smiled. A terribly twisted smile that she would never have made before.

“Ha… See this. Sonia. This is inside the dungeon, but it came running so quickly. For you.”

“She’s just trying to protect us!”

“She? ‘She’ for a skeleton. You must have grown quite fond.”

Conviction.

And hatred.

“Look at this.”

After that, Maria’s eyes, scanning among Sonia’s books fallen on the floor, soon discovered something and turned colorful.

She was a mercenary with rich experience dealing with nobles and knew well what some of the luxuriously finished books without covers were.

“How obscene.”

In the end, what was lastly mixed on top of those two emotions was contempt.

“Were you trying to flatter that monster? Sonia.”

“What, that’s…”

“Don’t call me Sister. You’re not my younger sister, nor my younger sister’s friend. Just… well. I’ll let it slide for the sake of our past memories. I’m just saying you’re a stranger. Because it’s a waste to call you an enemy.”

“It’s not like that!!”

Sonia’s excuses, realizing what Maria’s gaze had fallen on, still didn’t reach her.

It was nothing more than the mutterings of a madman trapped in her own convictions.

“I’ll say it once more. I’d prefer if you didn’t call me Sister from now on. Sonia Mediv.”

In the end, Maria turned her body in that spot and was about to leave after leaving her final words.

“…I don’t understand what all this commotion is about.”

If Libertas hadn’t appeared there.