It's Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

* * *

“This is pretty.”

“Oh my, it will suit you very well, madam.”

“Fufu. Thank you.”

Baroness Hailey Schum Gremit, a noblewoman of the Kingdom of Heisen, was a person who had never thought she lacked luck in her life.

Although her family was an ordinary baronet family, she didn’t take after her parents and was born with fairly good looks and even youthful appearance.

On top of that, her marriage partner was a baron who had a stable territory and fortress near the royal capital, so even before the current situation, she had lived her whole life without knowing financial difficulties.

‘Yes. It’s certainly a happy life.’

A husband who, though not loving, has loyalty to family and hasn’t committed adultery even once.

From such a husband, a lovely daughter who takes after her and a cute son.

From wealth to family, she was living a fairly satisfying life.

“I’ll handle the payment as usual, so please send the items I’ve chosen now to the mansion.”

“If it’s what you say, madam, absolutely!”

“Fufu.”

Moreover, she was even enjoying luxury and pleasure beyond her peers among noble ladies.

To the extent that all other acquaintances except family always envied and wondered about her mysterious source of funds.

Without even imagining that it was due to the large and dark hand of the continent.

‘No matter how I think about it, seizing that opportunity then was heaven-sent luck.’

The source of those funds was the black market association Midas, a gathering of black merchants operating covertly on the continent.

She had been working as an external collaborator of that association along with her husband, and had been playing the role of attracting appropriate customers and sales channels for several years now.

She considered it a heaven-sent opportunity.

Although the black market association was picky about personnel management, instead it was an organization that bought loyalty by giving generously to those who passed their standards.

She helped that organization along with her husband Gerald and received more wealth and power in return, even increasing the number of fortresses under their control from one to two.

‘There were some dangerous times, but in return I can live as wealthy as a count.’

She also thought that the position she occupied was just right for her.

Although not a position to access the big secrets of the association, it was a level where she could share some simple secrets and part of its wealth.

There were times when her pride was hurt, but in return it wasn’t very dangerous.

‘If I can just live humbly now and send the children to the academy…’

If someone who could really see fortune had formed a connection with her, they would have advised her to never think of facing large organizations like Midas with ‘great fortune’, but the current her had no way of knowing that.

In fact, it was already too late.

Because a shadow looming behind her back had begun to stare at a jewel held by the ‘giant black hand’.

“Madam. We’re being followed.”

When she heard this while leaving the banquet hall, she didn’t think it was such a big deal.

“No wonder the streets were strangely empty. Did they send them?”

“I’ll find out.”

“As always, I’m counting on you.”

She believed that the guards provided by Midas, who always had reliable power, would handle it as usual.

By killing those they could kill immediately, and through deals with those they couldn’t.

Thud!!

-Aaargh!!

Crack!

-S-save, save me…!!

“Jo, Johan…? Gemini…?”

However, that thought was quickly shattered.

Screams heard as soon as the guards boldly walked into the shadows of the alley, leaving her behind.

“W-What is this…?”

Those screams were so terrible that she thought they must be one of two things.

Either of a prisoner crawling out of hell, or of a demon executing that prisoner.

Of course, it was closer to the former, but it was neither.

“You have guards unsuited to your level. Human child.”

Screech… screech…

Despite being spoken in a voice that could sound cute enough, it was a tone that emphasized calmness with an unnaturally low pitch accompanying it.

And along with it, the sound of something heavy brushing the ground.

“When you had guards attached to you, you should have been aware that you needed to be that much more careful with your actions. Not doing so has brought today’s calamity.”

Skin so pale it looked white, and black hair beautifully decorating that face gradually revealing itself from the darkness.

Purple eyes gleaming ominously between them.

What she wore was nobility, and what followed at her feet was darkness and death.

“You should consider that you have a share in the death these people will soon face.”

As she flicked her finger, round lumps that had been dragged by an invisible force holding their ‘stems’ were thrown carelessly.

To Hailey’s feet.

Splat! Thud!

“Hii, hiiek…!”

What had only looked round at first flew with a terrible presence, dragging their large bodies through the dim light sources of the back alley.

Hailey realized a bit late that they were corpses.

After fragments that had bounced up from them violently hitting the ground stuck stickily to her cheek, along with who the owners of those corpses were.

“Sa… save me!!”

She too was somewhat used to dark matters.

As soon as she realized the situation, she showed movement trying to alert people of her existence by shouting rather than simply freezing in place, but…

In fact, it was already over from the moment she didn’t move from that spot trusting her guards.

“Heup…!!”

A cold body that had somehow grasped both her hands with one hand and was holding a dagger to her throat.

Hailey was writhing in terror seeing the bright blue blade visible and the cold skeletal body beyond it, but her slender body couldn’t escape even an inch.

Although she herself was a high-rank archer, it had been quite a while since she had actually engaged in combat, so.

『Characteristic – … Rusty Senses, Long Rested Body』

Libertas’s eyes narrowed as she examined the miserable characteristic window of a new sacrifice indicating the opponent had already surrendered.

The negative characteristic receiving a high-grade rating was fragmentary evidence of how long the subject had lived carelessly, and.

『Attributes – … Resistance 3』

In addition, the ‘Resistance’ ability score weaker than even Sonia whose body had been completely broken supported that judgment.

“…Let her go. 「Shadow Blade」.”

And she was a demon who really disliked such unfitting carelessness.

Swish-!

Blades arising from the shadows rushed towards Hailey’s neck.

Swish-!

“Hueek!”

Hailey, who had unconsciously relaxed her strength as soon as Evangeline let go, straightened her posture while letting out a strange scream seeing blades suddenly approaching near her neck.

Fortunately, the blades didn’t immediately cut off her neck like that.

Just didn’t cut it off, that is.

“Huu…!!”

The blades that had risen from the shadows stopped precisely near her body.

In positions where she would immediately taste pain and blood if she let her guard down even slightly.

“Sa, save… save me…!”

Drip drip…

Hailey stiffened in a posture necessary to avoid the blades, though not good for long-term back health.

“Hailey.”

“How, how do you know my name…?”

Libertas glanced at the stream flowing between her legs and opened her mouth while approaching her nonchalantly.

“You have information that doesn’t suit your status, human child.”

“W-What do you mean…?”

“Dungeon core. You know its location, don’t you?”

“How… do you know… about that…?”

It was natural for Hailey’s eyes to widen in shock upon hearing that matter.

Because she thought she had hidden it well. In fact, if considering against ‘humans’, that was true.

It’s just that the listener happened not to be human.

“I heard the careless words you were spewing.”

“There, there was definitely… no one listening…!”

Meanwhile, when Libertas said something equivalent to saying she too was in the banquet hall, Hailey’s eyes scrutinizing her soon colored with realization.

“You… could it be, that young lady…!”

“You’re quick-witted. Just quick-witted.”

She recognized that her identity was the ‘small and beautiful young lady’ she had seen in the banquet hall, even though her hair color, eye color, and even impression had been somewhat changed.

‘People who believe themselves to be smart often don’t know simple principles that can be understood with just a little thought. Like Talhan.’

The mistake of a moderately cunning person who doesn’t know that recognizing this itself could lead their own life to death.

It was natural for Libertas to recall the man who was Talhan’s original.

“If you don’t let me go safely…! I absolutely won’t say anything…!”

“Alright.”

“Huh…?”

Words Hailey screamed out as if thinking it was her last resort since Libertas had already revealed her business in advance.

When she easily nodded to that, Hailey made an expression as if all her thoughts had been cut off.

Of course, if she had known what this necromancer would do next, she would have tried to escape from this place rather than that.

Or die.

“You’ve already… 「become safe」. Human child.”

“…?”

Beyond the noblewoman’s empty eyes, Libertas’s eyes shine.

With an ominous purple light.

“I am… safe.”

“Yes. Because the place you should always be was by my side.”

“…Your… side…”

“My name is Libertas. The master to whom you’ve dedicated your fate.”

“Mas…ter…”

After engraving suggestions for quite a while after that, Libertas only woke Hailey up after properly confirming that the words she had engraved had settled well in her mind.

Tack!

“…I see you, Master.”

Of course, Hailey’s attitude towards Libertas after waking up like that had changed 180 degrees from before.

* * *

While domination through hypnosis and suggestion was necessary for Hailey, it wasn’t necessary to that extent for the guards.

Hailey needed to bring her ‘knowledge’ intact, but there was no need to replicate the guards’ deep memories or unconscious.

And no matter how much maintenance costs for summons, it’s naturally less troublesome than directly maintaining and renewing hypnosis magic.

“Devour them.”

-Yes…!

“Sa, save me…!!!”

Splat-!

There are three intellectual elements that ‘Cerebrum Skulls’ have.

Awareness that they were human, memories from when they were alive enough to mimic human habits, and lastly, the instinct to obey their master.

‘Talhan is clearly a special case.’

He has an unusually strong attachment to his past life and a great desire to escape his current form and occupy the body of a better individual, but there’s no possibility like what Cerebrum Skulls have in that reason.

“You four will protect Hailey and be in charge of communication.”

“”Yes. Master.””

“Hailey. You act as usual, but contact us about the time and place when heading to the black market. When do you depart?”

“In three days, Master.”

“I see. I’ll see you then.”

“Take care on your way.”

After answering with a hand gesture to the greetings of Hailey and what used to be the guards, I leave the place.

Evangeline and soldiers including Axe quickly follow by my side and disappear into the shadows, and Xue clings to my side as always.

“Are you going to find her core…?”

“Since we’re already exchanging favors, wouldn’t that be good?”

-Tack.

“I see…”

Emotions flowing from the shadows, and sulkiness seeping into Xue’s face.

Whether it can’t be hidden, or isn’t being hidden.

“Don’t be jealous. She’s a child who needs someone to rely on in an unfamiliar place.”

“It doesn’t seem to be just that…”

-Clatter.

I’ve been feeling it all along.

That the favor and goodwill these children are giving me is beyond normal.

And that they want to give more, deeper in their true hearts, but are restraining themselves as if wary of something.

Whenever I give attention and care to others, subtle anxiety or dissatisfaction bubbles up, how could I not know?

‘It’s fun to do this sometimes too.’

It’s fun and cute so I’m just not showing it explicitly.

I also believe they’ll talk to me properly someday.

“More than that, tomorrow…”

So I was trying to focus them on what needs to be done rather than letting them fall into jealousy right now…

But there was no need for that.

Boom-!!!

The next moment, I was already watching the backs of Axe and soldiers holding up shields while being held in Xue and Eve’s arms.

-Kyaaah-!!

The explosion and smoke rising from across the city, and the sound of mad screaming.

‘To think today was the day they would make their move.’

It was the prelude to an attack that anyone could recognize.

“…Let’s go to the three. Quickly.”

-Tack!

And the culprit being demons.