It's Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

* * *

“Is it… is it really true?”

Eleanor’s appearance when we met again three days later was even more broken.

Her voice was hoarse, and her wrists were full of marks from being rubbed by the edges of the shackles.

It seems the time in solitary confinement was that painful.

“Yes. You’ll contract with me, and work as Sonia’s guard. Though it’ll be closer to doing odd jobs while following her around than actual guarding.”

“Thank you! Thank you! Please order me to do anything! I’ll do anything! Hic…”

They say darkness and solitude are the fastest and easiest ways to break a person, but it seems her mental fortitude is quite weak, unlike her family affection or the abilities her body possesses.

Probably in normal times, she maintained her resolve with things like revenge for her family, and now that it’s broken, she can’t maintain a proper center.

“And, I’ll collect part of your abilities along with the contract.”

“What…?”

She looked up at me curiously, but this was natural from my standpoint.

Because her survival now is entirely thanks to Sonia giving up on revenge.

I haven’t given up.

To Sonia, she’s just the enemy of someone close, but to me, she’s an ‘enemy’ who made me lose a cherished subordinate and dungeon strength.

“Do you understand?”

“Ah, um, yes…”

Although she didn’t seem to understand at all, Eleanor nodded for now at my words.

I added one more word to make it easier for her to understand.

“I could have separated you from your family forever. In any way.”

“Thank you!!”

“Feel free to thank me.”

The contract was made after that, when Sonia finished the task I had given her today.

“Oh, you’ve come!!”

“Ah, yes…”

“Hmm…”

Eleanor, whom we saw again in the evening, brightened her expression greatly upon seeing us.

Her face was so bright that it rather confused Sonia and Maria, probably due to the expectation that she would now be freed from solitary confinement and be able to confirm her family’s safety.

“Let’s draw up the contract.”

Since there was already an existing preliminary contract, there was no problem in recording personal information and soul traces.

Eleanor’s soulprint was shaped like a fiercely blazing flame, but the lines forming it were very thin.

As if directly revealing her mental strength and tendencies.

“Teacher? This part…”

“Is there a problem?”

After writing the special terms below and having Sonia check them, she made a perplexed face.

What Sonia was pointing to was the very last of those special terms.

『’C’ agrees to pay with their life in proxy and save ‘B’ when ‘B’ suffers damage leading to death, provided it is not an act executed by ‘A’.』

Here, ‘C’ is Eleanor, and ‘B’ is Sonia.

In other words, through this contract, I’m saying I’ll set up a barrier to protect Sonia’s life with Eleanor’s life. From attacks by anyone other than me or my forces.

“Her life will be yours from now on. You said you’d take responsibility for her, so of course she should die instead of you when it’s dangerous.”

“But in this way… I didn’t want this.”

“It’s what I wanted, and she agreed to it.”

“Is this really true?”

“…Yes. That’s right. I agreed too.”

Eleanor nodded when she received Sonia’s gaze. Very vigorously. As if she had wanted it herself.

It was exactly the behavior I had ordered, and Sonia probably noticed that too… but it didn’t matter.

I had something else I wanted to say.

“Is it not okay no matter what?”

“Teacher, but this is…”

With one hand on her head, I met Sonia’s gaze.

The usual Sonia wouldn’t accept this.

But if my prediction is correct, she won’t be able to refuse what I’m saying now.

“I thought this level of safety measure was necessary. If she’s still alive and you die or get seriously injured, I… think I’d be very lonely. I’d like it if you could accept it…”

“…I understand. I’ll accept it, Teacher.”

After staring into my eyes for a long time, she finally nodded.

As expected.

She probably thinks I’m greatly considering the loss of Leonis that I experienced this time, and at the same time worrying about losing someone close.

“You thought well. Thank you.”

That thought wasn’t wrong.

Even this statement just now wasn’t a lie.

I actually cared for Leonis, and regret his loss.

At a level similar to the loss of the skeleton raised by Evangeline.

In addition, it’s true that I’m worried about Sonia’s loss, so there’s not a single lie.

Sincerely.

…That’s what it means to grow attached.

“No. I’m grateful too… although it’s not welcome.”

Sonia’s expression answering my smile looks pitiful.

The more I look, the more certain I feel.

That this child thinks of me as someone to protect.

‘It should be common sense in this world that a Dungeon Lord is a monster.’

To be honest, it’s a bit ridiculous, and I don’t know the cause of such emotions either.

But if it could substitute for hatred for her, it wasn’t a bad thing for me either.

Because hatred is an emotion that burns both the target and oneself.

Grrrr…!!

A little while later.

Right after the contract ended and the Demon King’s hand disappeared, I checked Eleanor’s condition.

『Attributes – Health 39(◀ 58) Technique 18(◀ 38) Durability 33(◀ 47) Magic Power 36(◀ 53) Resistance 25(◀ 42)』

『Characteristics(Downgraded) – Madness, Special Grade Specialization: Greatsword, Enchant Body』

『Characteristics(Lost) – Advanced Specialization: Two-handed Sword, Magic Overload』

“My body… feels heavy. To think this was really possible…”

Her ability, which was at the entry level of elite, dropped to about mid-advanced level.

It’s only 1 level in terms of stages, but the level she actually feels is probably quite high.

More than 1/3 of her physical and magical abilities enhanced by magic power, displayed as ‘attributes’, fell off.

“Phew…”

I could see Maria looking at her with eyes full of sympathy, as if feeling some sense of kinship.

I’m planning to return her power soon, but she doesn’t know that, and even after that, those feelings probably wouldn’t change.

So where did the power taken from Eleanor go?

『Name – Lin Xue』

I bestowed it on Xue, who has similar berserker power.

Of course, this was done without having them face each other, and Xue is currently in the prison right next to this.

Otherwise, Eleanor, who lost her power, might unnecessarily harbor negative emotions towards Xue.

『Attribute amount taken – Health 19 Technique 20 Durability 14 Magic Power 19 Resistance 17』

『Attributes – Health 53(◀ 44) Technique 27(◀ 19) Durability 39(◀ 34) Magic Power 39(◀ 33) Resistance 42(◀ 36)』

『Characteristics – Madness: Blood, … ‘Magic Overload’ …』

『A berserker with relatively good abilities compared to their grade. The body is top-grade, the soul is medium-grade.』

I felt satisfied, as I had been paying attention to the growth of my subordinates lately.

Power that couldn’t be obtained through ordinary sacrifice enhancement or growth was bestowed at once.

There was quite a big loss, perhaps because I directly infused power taken from a human into a demon.

‘It exactly met the standard for elite grade.’

Unlike up to advanced grade, to promote to elite grade requires a different ritual and sacrifice, so I can’t say her grade has risen immediately.

Anyway, I felt a sense of fullness because someone I care for gained that much power.

It was even more so because it was power sucked from a being I wouldn’t mind dying, although I wouldn’t deliberately drive them to death.

“If it’s possible to take away power, of course it’s possible to bestow it. I hope you show that much dedication, Eleanor.”

“I’ll… work hard.”

Although she didn’t show the same enthusiasm as before due to being dumbfounded, just being able to answer is enough.

Because the sudden loss of power means almost the same as a drop in self-esteem or pride for those who possess power.

The level of despair is deep, and it’s saying that not collapsing from that alone is doing well.

“And Eleanor. You’re not a retainer, but a slave. Make sure you’re properly aware of that position.”

“…I understand, Master.”

“I’ll be going now. The three of you probably have things to talk about.”

“Yes, Teacher.”

If I see Eleanor disrespecting Sonia after this, I’ll use that as an excuse to turn her into Sonia’s ‘life slot’.

There’s no compromise on that, and I don’t intend to care even if someone objects.

Just keeping her alive is already quite a concession.

As long as she’s still alive, I’ll try to use her usefully.

“Then, on your way, show her that her family is safe. However, I won’t allow opening the prison yet.”

“Yes. I understand.”

The reason for not releasing the nobles immediately is obvious.

Because I haven’t contracted with them yet.

‘I need to check one by one and distribute.’

Although the conditions for the contracts with the nobles will differ for each individual, the condition that will be necessarily included is the collection and distribution of attributes and characteristics through the contract.

Nobles usually tend to neglect training, but they had decent quality abilities in their bodies.

Given the cause of their downfall as they perceive it, it’s probably because they honed their power for revenge.

Even Eleanor’s younger brother, who seemed to have some intellectual problems, was an entry-level advanced warrior, so what more can be said?

That requires that much effort.

‘There was no human with ‘good quality’ who could transfer as much of the original power as Eleanor…’

Still, if even a small part of their abilities could be transferred, they would be good nourishment for my current subordinates.

I’m already looking forward to it.

Thinking about how those kids will like it.

* * *

‘What should I do.’

Sonia was perplexed.

Because she couldn’t readily think of how to treat Eleanor.

Of course, she had seen how others treat servants or slaves often, but that wasn’t helpful at all.

[You bought this as nail polish now? Haven’t you been with me for at least a week? You still haven’t figured out my taste?]

[You slave bastard can’t figure out your place!]

…She didn’t want to refer to the violence or verbal abuse that others routinely carry out.

If she had observed well, she might have found masters who treat their servants or slaves well, but such people are usually not noticeable.

There’s no way to distinguish servants or slaves living normal lives due to their master’s consideration from ordinary commoners.

It wasn’t unreasonable that Sonia didn’t know such cases.

‘I was this lacking.’

So she could quickly realize.

That although she said she wanted to give Eleanor a chance, it was just hypocrisy harboring subtle cowardice inside.

‘Since when have I been relying on Teacher this much.’

She had subtly hoped and believed.

That Libertas would manage Eleanor’s matter as well.

However, Rita entrusted Eleanor to her, and the best Sonia herself could do was not to rebel against it.

In fact, she had no way of knowing that it was great that someone harboring vain expectations could do even that much.

“It’s really admirable.”

Also, that Libertas was giving her more points for such aspects.