It’s Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

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– 1 –

To cut to the chase, the Dungeon Core that came up in the black market auction indeed belonged to Serika.

“You got what you wanted. Congratulations.”

“Yup! Thanks!”

There were no issues with winning the bid for the core. Lan had sold off a ton of ruby ore that he had previously dug up from the mine, and even though the Klymel family was a fallen noble house, they still had considerable wealth stacked away. Additionally, the three elite adventurers, including Alexis, had quite a few hidden treasures stashed away in various locations.

Well… the problem was that it was all someone else’s stuff, but aside from Lan’s case, I was still the victor in acquiring the property of the losers, so it shouldn’t matter.

At least according to the common sense of warfare in this world, it seemed acceptable.

However, the problem lay ahead.

“Um… Lady.”

“What is it?”

The issue wasn’t with the Dungeon Core or the auction itself.

“That is, today again…”

“…”

It was my problem.

My current appearance was the same as the one I used when I infiltrated Serika’s dungeon in Copgerin, but it just so happened I ran into someone in the black market who recognized that face.

“Is that you, Sir Elias?”

“Y-Yes…”

A high-ranking knight, Elias Sanson.

He had worked as an administrator for the expeditionary force and was one of the few who had had extensive face-to-face discussions with me.

“I really should have changed my face even if it was a hassle.”

No, I should probably just wear a veil or something when going out in the future.

A long-brimmed hat with a veil or a parasol with a veil would be perfect since those are items that noblewomen often carry.

Figuring that it wouldn’t be as bothersome if I masked my face entirely rather than just recognizing one disguised face seemed wise.

It might be a bit frustrating, but it would definitely be better than the current situation.

“Should I just kill him…? Lady.”

“You’re talking about the Marquis’s son? That would only create more trouble. Just leave him be.”

“Isn’t that a good idea? I’m all for it. He keeps bothering Rita.”

“You seem to know a lot…”

“It’s fine. Serika.”

As I restrained the increasingly harsh-sounding Xue these days, she looked quite disappointed.

Yeah. Surprisingly, he was indeed the son of a noble house — the Marquis family.

His real name was Elias von Ironfield.

Though his family had many siblings, leaving him with little claim to the heirship, and he was rather mediocre both as a knight and as an administrator, hence hardly making a name for himself…

Being the son of a high-ranking noble like a marquis still held weight.

He was too much of an inconvenience to just kill off without repercussions.

“I’m dissatisfied. Dungeon ladies are like princesses even among the demon clans. Rita is a princess to me too.”

“Hmm…”

“Above all, I really dislike his gaze. I want to dig it out.”

His gaze indeed felt like he was looking at me as if I were a noble, yet it was blunt.

If he really were the child of a marquis, he would have lived a life where he wouldn’t have to hide that gaze forever.

“If I wanted to kill him, it wouldn’t be impossible…”

The Marquis Sanson was one of the Dukes from the Kaisen Kingdom, governing territory adjacent to the Zenota Union Kingdom, one of the two great powers in the southern mainland.

Being a Duke is one thing, but having a Duke who faces the great powers directly is another.

If the son of that Duke, Elias, went missing, and the suspicion fell on us, it would lead to an unbelievably troublesome situation.

“But there are still ways to dig in.”

[I can’t express how surprised I was when you suddenly disappeared from the battlefield.]

[I had to leave after hearing that my mother back in my hometown fell ill. I completed the handover, so there shouldn’t have been any problems concerning business.]

[That may be so, but I worried a lot about you.]

Thinking back to the conversation I had with Elias, it seemed he still held a favorable impression of me.

…Just remembering his gaze sent shivers down my spine.

He surely needed to tone it down a notch. Ignoring it could only go so far.

Anyway, the opportunity to delve into him is indeed his affections, his jealousy, and the obsession he has been displaying utterly.

‘It’s not like that man lacks ambition.’

I didn’t know why he had focused on his administrative duties, but Elias was undoubtedly jealous of the elite knights from Copgerin at that time.

Jealousy arises from the desire to excel, and since Elias had faced incompetence as a knight, he was probably aware of his lack of talent, consciously or unconsciously, but still desired to rise higher.

So, my first strategy was to use the “conditions of encounter” to channel his desires.

To put it plainly, a beauty trap. …Though, saying that feels like a stretch.

‘…But I can’t exactly do that.’

That was impossible for two reasons.

Firstly, it would be uncharacteristic of me to attempt such a thing, and secondly, “nobility” would not allow it.

Just looking at that man’s greasy gaze was enough to give me chills; how could I possibly attempt to seduce them?

Moreover, it seemed that “nobility” deemed any form of self-created beauty trap utterly filthy.

Given how much discomfort and repulsion arose, it felt evident.

‘Then, there’s only one way.’

To prepare for that, I planned to wait until he became accustomed to coming to this house.

So far, it’s been three days.

“Ah. Angelita.”

“You’ve come again today. Sir. I see you’re not bored.”

Elias awkwardly smiled at my words filled with rejection. For a man of his status, being dismissed must be quite rare.

However, there was a reason I felt compelled to speak this way.

It’s been three days since we last met.

Yet, around the accommodation where we were staying, the low-level “eyes” had increased alarmingly, which was unusual for him not to notice, and he had been visiting here every single day without fail.

It was a situation from which it was difficult to escape through ordinary methods, and the mastermind was glaringly obvious.

Thus, my reaction felt quite natural.

This served as the basis for my claim that he was fixated on me.

“If you’re dissatisfied with my visits…”

“No, it’s not that at all.”

To the man pretending to be confused and giving a half-hearted smile, I shook my head and finally revealed a smile that I usually kept hidden.

Thankfully, I felt little repulsion towards this. Perhaps a simple smile was not categorized as a beauty trap.

“I’ve been waiting. Let’s go inside.”

As I turned and started walking, I felt a presence following me from behind—that much was as usual.

What lay before me was a long and dark corridor.

As I walked through that hallway, I briefly halted upon hearing words coming from behind me.

“It’s already been three days, but this mansion is truly splendid. Did you own it originally?”

“Not at all. I rented it.”

“Oh…”

This place I was currently staying in was a mansion once occupied by a noble from Sonataph.

A fallen noble who wished to maintain honor without being able to sell his own mansion, consistently maintaining it for rental.

That’s how Hailey managed to rent it out as accommodation.

It cost quite a bit, but it was rather extravagant for mere accommodation, so I was pleased.

“But the pictures hanging in the corridor have all been changed.”

“I’m planning to purchase the mansion soon.”

To the extent that I truly wanted to use it as my base moving forward.

While the owner of the mansion had no intention to sell, that thought would soon change.

Through one of two methods.

Elias, unaware of my true intentions, merely nodded twice in admiration.

“Indeed. Angelita’s financial strength is nothing to scoff at. Running a regular trade company wouldn’t suffice.”

“…”

I smiled at him and resumed walking.

As if to signal him to imagine things freely.

“Excuse me for saying this, but I’ve been doing a bit of research. About Angelita.”

He indeed had gone through with that.

Seeing him casually say something that would generally be off-putting to the average person showed he had quite a bit of confidence in himself.

Confidence that he could transform even that unlikable persona into favorable one eventually.

Though it was delusional.

“Were there any results?”

“They said it’s like trying to track a falling star; untraceable. Almost as if a real angel had descended.”

“I suppose you got that information through the Information Guild.”

That was info I already knew.

The number of “eyes” outside continued to grow steadily. Usually, through necromancy, sometimes through magic.

“Yes. It felt a bit shameful to hire honorable individuals for this sort of job, but I ended up spending quite a hefty sum to cover their conscience. It was pretty stagnant until recently, but there were some results.”

Whether he used wealth that was allocated to him or that of his family was unclear to me.

Regardless, it wouldn’t have been lacking either way.

Having now met him again, I felt the necessity, and I had also instructed Talhan to prepare several forged identities for me.

It would be enough to pass him one of those at the right moment.

“I see.”

“Not an issue. I don’t plan to mention this to others.”

As I slightly hardened my expression, he seemed to think I was nervous, forcing a friendly smile.

That face, to put it directly, was handsome.

It could easily attract the locals, but in my opinion, he had the kind of face that would turn heads and become an idol back on Earth.

Given how well-developed his muscles were as a knight, it would be even better if he could balance that face and body.

Of course, that wouldn’t help escape the fact that he had chosen the wrong person to fall in love with, anyway.

“Well, if noblemen can gain information, it means that others could do so as well, provided they pay enough.”

“Anticipating that, I donated sufficiently to the guild. For Angelita’s information, that person would have to surpass the name of the Ironfield Marquis House and the amount donated.”

“… Thank you for your kindness. That was generous of you.”

It was a given that both he and the guild wouldn’t know that the funds he donated would eventually reach me.

And they would likely remain unaware forever.

“However, it’s rather strange. Today, this corridor feels unusually long. Perhaps it’s because of the enjoyable time spent with you, my lady.”

Now that he seemed completely convinced I was a noblewoman, he was establishing familiarity by calling me “my lady.”

Sharing secrets tends to be an effective means of drawing relationships closer in any case.

Whether that relationship turns out to be good or bad.

“…”

“Um… Angelita? This seems odd, no matter how you look at it.”

As I remained silent, Elias approached me with a somewhat anxious voice and expression.

It appeared that he only just realized now.

That indeed, this corridor was abnormally long.

“… Angelita?”

Tap.

And finally, when he touched ‘my’ shoulder at that place.

– Kyaaaah!!

Those hollow eyes.

Hair that faded from black to murky dark gray in an instant.

A mouth that ripped all the way up to the ears.

“Uaaah!!”

What he encountered was not the face of a beautiful lady, but that of a specter.

Swish!

“Wha- Angelita?! If you’re joking, come out! This isn’t funny!”

Drawing his sword, he sliced at the specter, which then vanished, leaving my appearance gone from the scene.

No matter how much he turned his head, he wouldn’t be able to find me.

After all, I was still back in the mansion of Sonataph.

“Congratulations on being selected as an alpha tester… was it?”

He was already invited into my dungeon.

Just like how I entered this world as an alpha tester. Speaking of which, since he’s an outsider, does that mean it’s more of a beta test?

Anyway, he would undergo the test of my dungeon.

“Hopefully, you survive as long as possible.”

Of course, what lies at the end is neither treasure nor love.

Just a ‘death’ that will be welcomed in whatever manner it comes.