NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 58
– 1 –
After finishing the two rounds of dancing, I returned to my seat, and Sonia’s expression had brightened considerably.
Looks like she had a lot of fun. That’s a relief.
“It’s a bit warm.”
“Ah, let me bring you a drink…!”
“Thanks.”
While I was sitting and chatting as she fanned me, she was dashing around faster than Xue, almost like she was my real partner.
Her face radiated a cute vibe that made it worth moving around.
Then, my gaze quickly turned to Alexis.
I wanted to hear the result of the task I entrusted to him early on.
“How did it go?”
“Um… well. The results aren’t that great.”
Alexis replied with a sheepish face, hands on his neck.
The reason I brought him here was to form a new party for his new identity as the soon-to-be ‘Alexis Samigina,’ replacing the deceased ‘Alexis Julka.’
I thought he might not do well since he seemed more focused on flirting with girls, but it looks like that unwelcoming expectation wasn’t missed.
“…”
Shaking my head.
When I glanced at Maria, she too shook her head. Even though I asked her to help Alexis since she was a veteran adventurer, it seems she had no results either.
Well… it’s unreasonable to expect to be full on the first meal.
There’s nothing we can do.
“It’ll be fine. For a while, stay active around here. Anyway, we need to buy a mansion and need a manager for that. You can register with the guild here and build your record, right?”
To establish a base for dungeon traps in Copgerin, someone must manage it while staying nearby.
I planned to leave that to Alexis, along with the additional personnel I’d recruit locally.
However, he didn’t seem to think so, looking quite displeased.
“… I have to start everything from scratch at my level.”
It must be distressing to lose all the comrades and property he built up over the years and start from scratch.
While I had stolen everything from his comrades’ memories and what was in the hideout, it wasn’t something he could know right now.
He likely wouldn’t ever know.
“If you want to act like in the old days, I could return it all to you.”
“Are you joking, Lady? If the guy rumored to be dead came back, they’d take me straight to the temple.”
Right now, he couldn’t afford to go to the temple.
Most of the power within it had been substituted with demon powers.
While it’s fine to use the magic gained from the demon world casually, entering a grand temple or coming into contact with a distinguished cleric would make it hard to hide the presence of that magic.
In this world, divine power and magic—specifically, demon magic—are opposing forces.
“It’s a relief this isn’t near the magical realm, at least.”
In all this, the one relief might be that most distinguished clerics are busy supporting adventurers on the front lines with the magical realm.
It’s only natural to have the most capable clerics and healers in the most injury-heavy places in the world.
“Right. Just kidding. So do well. If you don’t want to get involved with the temple, you must not get hurt at all.”
“Haha…”
“It’ll be a much easier start than before.”
“Yeah… right.”
Adventurers in the mainland grow primarily through ‘Dungeon Growth Management’ organized by the adventurer guild and the state, or by secretly finding and conquering dungeons in remote areas where state administration doesn’t reach—those are the main methods.
Of course, there are also other means like participating in wars between territories or requests to find specific treasures in dungeons, and sometimes even solving mysteries that arise on the continent, but the latter two are more secondary.
Dungeons are never easy spaces, so it’s difficult for ordinary adventurers to operate without injury…
『Job and Rank – Elite Magic Swordsman』
『Attributes – Stamina 49 Skill 42 Durability 39 Magic 51 Resistance 48』
『Specialization – Specialization: Fire Magic, Specialization: Lightning Magic, Advanced Specialization: One-Handed Sword, No Name, Balancing, Magic: Strong Wind, User of Magic Armor』
Alexis is an elite-level adventurer.
He knows that injuries are unlikely in the mainland, so he merely brushes it off with a laugh.
Originally, he could only handle fire magic, but after using several lightning-using hop goblins as sacrifices, he infused that characteristic and, along the way, also enhanced his magic and other stats even further.
“Well then, I’ll go ahead. There doesn’t seem to be anything left to gain here.”
“Keep in touch regularly.”
“May you remain safe.”
Even so, Alexis takes his leave with a polite farewell befitting tradition.
Of course, I had already set up surveillance and protection for him while he acted in society. If a threat arises that could endanger an elite adventurer, someone to observe that threat is also needed.
In the event of Alexis’s death, it could confirm his death through the contract’s dissolution, but I still needed to document what happened.
『Title/Entity Name – Armor of the Dead』
『Traits – Armor of the Dead, Soul Absorption』
『Armor of the Dead: Absorbs the master’s magic to create a shield that reflects ranged and magical attacks.』
『Soul Absorption: Inflicts strong damage proportional to magic and absorbs the blood and soul of the dead enemy to enhance both the user and the armor.』
This high-level summoned entity and evolving rare-grade equipment, which always accompanies Alexis, was suitable for monitoring and enhancing him at the same time.
Next time I see him, he’ll surely be even stronger.
So will the armor.
“Leonis, is something wrong?”
Next was Leonis, who still looked glum.
I was also curious why Sonia looked so shocked.
I could guess what it might be, but I sincerely hope it’s not that. I have no clue how to manage it.
If I leave it unattended, I can’t even imagine how their situation might change or what kind of chaos it might bring.
Sonia is young, and Leonis seems quite clumsy.
“… it was.”
“What?”
When I approached him and opened my mouth, he gave an immediate answer before I could even ask a proper question.
“I got rejected.”
“Oh dear.”
So, this foolish guy, over just one dance, chose the path of pressing his affection, becoming even more foolish.
“What are you doing? You’re not being very supportive.”
“I don’t know either… Sigh.”
If you wanted to make someone who lacks recognition aware of love, wouldn’t it make sense to start by slowly getting them accustomed?
… I’m not that knowledgeable either, but still.
– 2 –
I wanted to hear more about the situation between Leonis and Sonia, but unfortunately, there wasn’t time for that.
– Ladies and gentlemen gracing this gathering, unfortunately, today’s banquet will end here. I wish for your safe return to your accommodations and a pleasant aftermath, and I’d like to announce that the hall’s doors will close in one hour.
“Oh no.”
As soon as I heard the announcement of the banquet’s end, it became clear that my ‘target’ had started to move, communicated through the surveillance I had set up for her.
“I guess I’ll have to hear about that later at my leisure.”
“Is there really a need to listen at ease…?”
“Well, I don’t know.”
After instructing the three to return to their lodgings, I instructed the other two, excluding Sonia, to look for vacant houses within Copgerin for tomorrow.
It was to find a place to set up as a trap.
“Is it better if there are bad rumors about the house…?”
“Yeah. Regardless of the rumors, they shouldn’t be able to invade a Dungeon Lord. Plus, the cheaper the price, right? We can just fix up anything broken.”
“Oh, right… That makes sense. Got it.”
Though I told Maria that reason, the truth is that houses with rumors of ghosts or the like would be better to decorate as new dungeons.
To be precise, they’d become entrances to the dungeons, but still.
“Um, Master…?”
“I’ve got something to take care of. I’ll resolve it soon and return to the lodgings, so you rest first.”
“…”
Just as we were about to part ways momentarily, I was puzzled to see Sonia hesitating and not following the others.
It seemed she felt some sort of anxiety, her eyes shaking, yet she was holding onto her sleeve as if she had something left unsaid.
“Is there something you want to say, Sonia?”
“I…”
“Go on.”
“If I go with you… would that be a problem?”
That was a tricky question.
What I was about to do was a task very suitable for a monster with human-level intelligence.
“I don’t quite understand what you mean by that.”
Is she trying to stop me from what I plan to do? Or is she trying to join for her own reasons that I’m unaware of?
Without knowing her true intention, I couldn’t involve her in that matter.
“So…”
“Sonia! Let’s go already. You can’t hinder Master.”
Before Sonia could voice her thoughts, Maria dragged her away. I could have stopped them, but I decided to let them go for now.
Whatever Sonia was thinking, it felt like something that required a thorough discussion with her.
It’s different from Leonis’s direction.
“You guys.”
– Yes, Master.
“I want you to investigate one thing.”
– Just command us.
After giving instructions to Talhan and the Cerebrum Skull on something I learned from the party, I delved into the city’s alleys.
A shadowy street.
It was a place that felt as comfortable as home to me.
– 3 –
That night.
“Eek…!!”
The noblewoman of the Kaisen Kingdom and external associate of the Underworld Trading Company, Midas, the wife of Baron Hailey Shum Gremit, received four skulls.
Specifically, the heads of her guards she had relied upon.
“You hold information that doesn’t match your standing, human child.”
The one who threw them was watching her from the shadows of the city.
In the night’s gloom, his purple eyes glittered.