It's Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

* * *

The head of the Claimel family head, cut off with his face contorted in agony, placed on the table.

“He had superficial charm, but was a miserable man to the end. As expected.”

The woman who placed her hand on top of his head opened her mouth while looking down at her.

“He said he could never contract with me. Even though I took his family members hostage.”

A contract requires the contractor’s voluntary will.

However, the Claimel family head refused it, and at the same time, it meant that since those with mature abilities at the elite level are likely to have resistance to ‘poison’, he had to be killed in the end.

“So I tried to behead him at once to honor that will, but this time he begged me to save him. He said to kill you, who caused the trouble, and save him. He said he would make a new contract.”

But those words didn’t end there.

The content was shocking. To think her uncle, who had always cherished her, would say such things.

“…He really was a miserable man, wasn’t he? It was also these old monsters of this family who ruined you to that extent.”

However, for Eleanor, more than the content of those words, the voice saying them was more shocking.

For a woman who grew up harboring the family’s grudge, nothing was more important than the honor of nobles and family.

“How… how can you be so comfortable after killing people, nobles, so miserably…?”

“Well…”

The same calm voice as always.

However, if someone familiar with that voice heard it, they would know there was a very slight mockery in one corner.

Of course, to Eleanor, she was just a psycho-like woman who could talk about a person’s death to their family without any qualms after killing them.

So Libertas’s next words couldn’t help but be puzzling.

“Eleanor. If you say you killed Count Zulheim’s family members, do you think you would feel guilty about it?”

“What… are you saying…?”

“I mean, are Count Zulheim’s family members separate from your targets of revenge?”

“Of course they should pay the price too…!”

“Yes. I’m the same.”

Libertas nodded nonchalantly.

However, Eleanor still couldn’t understand the meaning and just looked on with doubt.

Those words ultimately meant that Libertas held a grudge against them, but as far as she knew, the Claimel family had never incurred such a deep grudge from other noble families.

Even in the long history of the family, and moreover, after hearing the following words, she couldn’t help but understand less.

“Kuh…hit…!”

“I too have a grudge against you, Eleanor. Against you and your entire family who raised you like that.”

While placing her heeled foot on Eleanor’s stomach and pressing down gently, Libertas spoke in that usual quiet voice.

Words still incomprehensible to her.

“What… are you saying…!!”

Libertas didn’t answer Eleanor’s question, but waited for a moment while looking to one side in that state.

Eleanor’s gaze was also directed there, and she couldn’t help but be surprised with her eyes wide open immediately.

Because there was a sight that forcibly made her recognize reality when she had been in a dazed state until then.

“Mo-Mother! Sister! Al! Everyone! Wake up!”

Her mother who always troubled the hired servants due to dementia, but was still loved by Eleanor.

Her diligent older sister who maintained affection and devotion to her family even while aging as an old maid.

Her younger brother who was born with intellectual disabilities but said he would become a warrior to help the family and his sister.

Up to her uncle’s concubine and four children.

All of her family members were tied up and unconscious there.

“El…ders…? You guys…?”

People she couldn’t say she was very close with, but had some friendship with as distant relatives.

The old men who always talked about family pride and forced her training and asceticism since childhood, and the young men who were always full of complaints about the world.

Because those branch family members were pointing swords at the family members.

“I’m sorry, Eleanor.”

“This is the only way we can live…”

“Th-This is all because of your mistake.”

The sight of them turning their heads without daring to make eye contact, and the family members in danger of losing their lives at any moment at the swords they were pointing.

Although some armored and thick-hooded figures were standing by with more vicious weapons beside them…

Eleanor instinctively knew.

They were holding their weapons half ‘voluntarily’.

“What are you saying! What are you saying!!”

Eleanor felt a sense of reality rushing in and then receding again, and at the same time felt hatred towards the people and the woman in front of her.

“Don’t worry. They won’t kill your family yet, Eleanor.”

“What did I ever do to you…! What on earth did I do for you to do this…!!!”

“Yes… Even if you die, you should know the reason.”

After pondering for a moment with an expressionless face, Libertas nodded.

She spoke as if it was very natural.

“The monsters you summoned. Some of those you released in the city killed my subordinate and injured another subordinate, Eleanor.”

“Sub…ordinate?”

“Yes. They were subordinates who worked diligently for me.”

“You’re doing this because of just one or two subordinates…?”

Libertas felt her jaw tighten as soon as she heard those words.

She knew that in a world with a class system where dealing with servants and slaves was natural, subordinates were easily perceived as the lord’s clothes or livestock.

However, seeing this direct display of not even feeling them as ‘equal lives’, it was as if that knowledge was vividly realized.

But what felt worse than that was that this puddle of loneliness disparaged her subordinates.

‘I also categorize people according to familiarity or benefits they provide, but…’

Isn’t that what all people do?

At least she doesn’t openly display such thoughts outwardly, and she acts while knowing it’s ‘not right’…

It seemed that for people in this world, that was rather a natural way of thinking.

I wonder which is worse.

‘No, rather than that.’

And what if I say this?

Libertas, who quickly shook off the heavy emotions, opened her mouth with curiosity.

“He was a magician. A very talented magician… who would naturally acquire a noble title on his own in the future. He was too… precious to die in a place like this.”

“Even so…! Just kill me! Just me!”

And from Eleanor came an answer that made her feel satisfaction and interest at the same time.

Satisfaction at learning about the average of this world where judging people not as people, but by their abilities or status is very natural.

Interest in Eleanor’s appearance, who started to feel that grudge as justified when she learned about the status of the deceased.

Then, if speaking according to this world’s average… this is how I should speak, right?

“Eleanor.”

“…?”

“What do you think is the reason people follow others?”

“What…?”

“Ability. Familiarity. Sometimes beliefs or will. There could be many. But what a lord should give to subordinates is fixed.”

While lifting Eleanor’s chin, which was looking down with strength drained though still containing doubt, with the tip of her parasol, Libertas whispered.

Her thoughts on the master-servant relationship.

“As long as they are loyal, the minimum guarantee of livelihood that should be endlessly fulfilled. Luxury and honor befitting their status or years of loyalty.”

“That’s obvious, isn’t it…?”

This was close to obvious for Eleanor as well.

Although the size or activeness of the compensation may differ, nobles also guarantee the livelihood of servants and soldiers, and increase rewards as time passes, so it matched common sense.

“Lastly, protection for themselves and their bloodline.”

However, the next words were different.

The reaction was immediate.

“What noble in the world does that…! It’s natural that one protects oneself!”

“So you think.”

“How many potential enemies and demons are there in this world! If you try to protect all your subordinates, even a king wouldn’t be able to live his own life!”

Her words weren’t wrong either.

In this world, potential and fatal threats were scattered everywhere. It’s natural that the lord’s fatigue would endlessly increase if trying to provide protection capabilities against all of them.

“I don’t think so, Eleanor.”

However, Libertas shook her head.

“And you ruined this. You made my ability to protect my subordinates be put to the test.”

She declared with a smile as if drawn in a picture.

That a ruler should rightfully protect the safety of subordinates.

“If unable to provide protection for subordinates, a ruler’s ability is bound to be doubted. Then, wouldn’t you have to prove that protection ability by proxy with other abilities?”

“So you’re doing this? So you’ll… kill all my family members?”

“That could be the case. Because protection ability can sometimes be substituted with revenge ability.”

Failure of protection, to revenge.

The ability to make subordinates believe that at least their lord will avenge them, will make those who caused their death pay the price.

Libertas believed that would be the last virtue of a ruler.

Of course, it doesn’t mean pouring out everything you have like some loyal lord somewhere, but shouldn’t you do the basics?

“Just kill me… Just kill me! That would be enough!”

However, those words didn’t seem to be accepted by Eleanor.

In fact, it was something that couldn’t be accepted.

If she affirmed this, wouldn’t she be affirming the reason for her and her family’s death?

However, unfortunately, she had already uttered words that negated what she just said.

“We don’t call such half-hearted things revenge. That’s the conversation we had.”

“That’s…!”

“Revenge should be done as fatally as possible, in a way that completely crushes the enemy. So Eleanor.”

That face is very kind and gentle. That voice is still calm and low.

However, Eleanor now felt like she was seeing an incomprehensible monster in her appearance and voice.

Like an alien creature wearing a human shell.

So that rebellion wasn’t through reason, but just arose from instinct.

“You’ll have to contract with me first.”

“You think I’d do that…?!”

Tack.

While tapping Eleanor’s forehead once with the tip of her parasol to stop her words, Libertas continued her next words with an expressionless face.

Still in a gentle tone.

“Then, you can all die together.”

Shick…

One of the branch noble elders raised his sword tip to point at Eleanor’s mother.

Although that tip was trembling, it was firm as if knowing what his role was.

It was natural for Eleanor’s gaze and plea to turn to Rita after confirming that sight.

“I… I’ll do it! I’ll do it! Please… Mom is a pitiful person. Since the family fell, since Albert was born like that, she’s never been in her right mind…”

“There’s no need to set an unnecessary example. I’m glad you’re a smart child.”

To this, the Dungeon Lord accepted that obviousness and still nodded elegantly.

* * *

This preliminary contract didn’t need to be deliberately loose like other contracts before.

At that time, I couldn’t force them with magic power, so I had to write weak conditions unavoidably considering the backlash of forcibly removing the contract, but now I have enough magic power.

The condition of the contract was the Claimel family’s obedience. The price for violating the contract was the death of a random one among them.

Of course, since it was one contract per family, they wouldn’t have to see the sight of betting their lives on gacha.

Although they were all driven mad by twisted grudges against the world, they seemed to know how to cherish at least themselves or their families.

“The one who leads us will find you…”

“I wonder. Even if they can find me, I don’t know if they’ll try to take revenge on me for your sake.”

“What do you mean…? What are you?”

“You’ll know when we get there.”

Eleanor kept spouting curses or threats endlessly, but since those were words spoken without knowing I was a Dungeon Lord, I wasn’t particularly bothered.

No matter what demon, they wouldn’t try to antagonize a Dungeon Lord just for the sake of human families.

Unless that person was another Dungeon Lord on the ground.

In the first place, they can’t track me, so all these assumptions are meaningless… and even if they find me, in that case I can just use other methods, so it doesn’t matter.

In any case, no grudge will return to me.

“Talhan. Retrieve all the remaining assets here. How many will you need?”

“I’ll take five and one noble.”

“Alright.”

Talhan taking the family head’s eldest son, and my soldiers walking out from the shadows following him.

Those soldiers were all wearing thick hoods, so they could come out and be active at night.

These were also the children who were monitoring the family members when I contracted with Eleanor.

Scarlet said there are magic hoods that ‘make exposed skin look like a human’s’, I think I should get a few of those and carry them around later.

“Um… excuse me…”

“Ah… you were here.”

“Hehe… can we go now?”

“You damn bastards…”

The branch nobles approaching me with their hands tied, bowing with flattering smiles, and Eleanor grinding her teeth in anger looking at them.

After pondering for a moment…

“Yes. I said I would ‘free’ you when this is over.”

“That you did.”

I guess it’s better to recover the magic restraints after all.

“Eleanor. Isn’t it better to kill traitors yourself?”

“W-Wait…!”

“What!”

“What?”

Eleanor, who looked at me questioningly for a moment, soon wore a fierce smile on her lips.

Although she had only shown powerless appearances so far, she was still a warrior obsessed with revenge.

“…Didn’t you promise? That you would spare them.”

“Yes. I said I would ‘free’ them.”

“You lied! You deceived us!!”

“I don’t lie. To humans.”

Unfortunately, those who believe the enemy’s words that they will be spared and point swords at family members they’ve been living with all this time are not called humans.

In the first place, I said I would ‘free’ them, but I never said a word about not killing them.

This means that as long as I don’t make them undead under my command, I’m keeping my promise.

“Come… here-!!!”

“Sa-save me!!”

Thwack!!

“Kyaaah!!”

Swish!!

An elite magic swordsman bound by contract, but with limbs free.

Eight people below high rank, not only with limbs restrained but also wearing magic restraints.

The massacre that bloomed under the two-handed sword I handed to Eleanor didn’t take long to fully bloom.

‘I got a housewarming gift.’

“Load the corpses of your ‘former’ family onto the cart. Noble-born slaves. We’ll be moving now.”

After confirming the sight of Eleanor’s family members loading the corpses onto the cart while retching, my steps headed not towards the outskirts of the village, but rather inwards.

Because my second target that I wanted to retrieve was there.

“Why here…?”

“You’ll know when we go in.”

Of course, that target meant the Dungeon Lord that would be in the mine.

Or its core.