It's Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

* * *

After finishing the conversation with the Lamia Queen Echidna, I returned to the dungeon first.

This was because I had to gather my forces to take with me before heading to the northern coniferous forest, and also to handle postponed matters.

Since I had to set a schedule according to the Alraune Queen’s request, I had put off everything I was doing and moved immediately.

“Teacher!”

“Sonia. Were you on your way to train?”

“Yes. Didn’t you say you’d be later?”

The first to greet me upon returning to the dungeon was Sonia, who was coming down the stairs that only lead up to my room in that entrance hall.

“The work isn’t over yet. I’m sorry to interfere, but could you guide this little lady to the reception room before your training?”

“Ah, yes!”

“Serha. This is my disciple. Get along well.”

“Understood! Lady.”

Watching Sonia and Serha exchange eye greetings, Sonia soon turned her gaze to me and asked my intentions.

“Then, Teacher…”

“Let’s talk after I handle the immediate matters. We should also have your postponed lesson, shouldn’t we?”

“Yes!”

Nodding her head once with joy, Sonia disappeared leading Serha.

Leaving them behind, I immediately headed to where Eve would likely be.

It was a large room named as the training hall among the spaces created on the 2nd floor.

“Huff… huff…”

-Clack!

“Ah, I got it…!”

It was still midday.

As I had instructed in advance, they were continuing their training here.

Arduous training only for Elias.

“Eve. Elias.”

-Clack!

“Ah, Lady…!”

Evangeline, who was looking at me even before I called, and Elias, who looked at me when called.

Gladness settled in both their eyes.

Evangeline was always glad to see me, and Elias was probably just happy that the training was over.

After exchanging eye greetings with Elias, I immediately spoke to Eve about the matter at hand.

“Eve. How is she?”

The first thing to do was to send Elias back to the family.

For that purpose, she (he) who had not yet been sent to the family and left in the dungeon was receiving general weapons training from Eve.

This was one of several reasons I left Eve in the dungeon this time.

-Clack!

“I see. That’s good.”

She said it was enough to just correct bad habits since it wasn’t creating talent that didn’t exist, but expanding what was already there.

It was surprising that Eve could smoothly use and teach spear techniques that she didn’t even have as a characteristic originally, but since she was capable of many things from the start, it wasn’t that surprising.

What warrior in the world would know how to make furniture or bows, train battalions, or even manage dungeons?

Compared to that, being able to handle various weapons wasn’t that surprising.

『Special Grade Specialization: Swordsmanship, Advanced Grade Specialization: Weaponry』

She had also possessed these two characteristics since sometime after becoming advanced grade.

‘…No matter how I think about it, this doesn’t seem like something obtained. Rather…’

…No, let’s think about this after finishing the northern matter.

“Elias. It seems you’re about ready now, so prepare to return to your family.”

I turned my gaze to Elias.

Her aura, resolutely gripping the spear I had bought from the demon realm and given her instead of what she originally used, was different from before, but her eyes remained the same.

Eyes that didn’t blur even while sweating, held much more firmly by the desire for honor than before.

The effect of reminding her of her sins and will for several days after the contract seems to be lasting long. It seems there’s no need to worry about her in the future.

“Understood. But how will I move…?”

“You’ll know when preparations are complete.”

“Yes, Lady!”

Still, her attitude had improved a lot compared to before.

This is probably because she changed her thinking, but also thanks to Eve’s hard work.

Naturally, my hand went to her pelvis as always.

“You’ve worked hard.”

-Clatter!

“It’s nothing. You did well.”

-Clack!

As I patted her saying those words, she answered in a posture still full of tension and loyalty.

With an attitude that never changed even once from the beginning.

Somehow it seemed like Xue standing beside was looking at her with disdain, but that must be my imagination.

Why would she mock this diligent attitude?

“Are you ready? Then let’s go.”

“Yes!”

The place we moved to was one of the ‘entrances’ within the dungeon.

Of course, Elias who needs to go follows, along with Xue and Eve who have somehow come to take charge of all my guarding.

And a little while later.

“Wait, here… isn’t this the house from earlier?”

“What’s this all of a sudden…”

“Ah, there are people.”

“Oh my. An accident has occurred.”

Just then, we discovered about a dozen adventurers entering the dungeon.

Originally, the ‘trap’ was stopped to send Elias, but it seems they received a request and entered the mansion during the brief moment the door was opened.

“Um, excuse me… Are you perhaps the owner of the mansion?”

“See? I told you it wasn’t an empty mansion.”

“No, we just received an investigation request, what…”

They certainly don’t look like veteran adventurers in any way.

I thought about it for a moment, but there’s really no other use for them…

So, I simply gave instructions.

“There’s no time to waste.”

Instructions to make them aware of the misfortune approaching them.

“Okay.”

-Clack.

Tak!

Two white figures leapt out as soon as I spoke.

“Enemies?!”

“Warriors to the front…!”

The adventurers reacted quite quickly, but they weren’t the only ones they should be wary of.

“‘Flock of Corpse-Tearing Crows’.”

Since those two are already at elite level in simple specs, it wouldn’t have taken long even if left alone.

I don’t have a hobby of playing with those who are going to die anyway without purpose.

Swoosh-swoosh!

-Kakakak!

-Gaaa!!

As I chanted the spell, dozens of black beasts sprang out from the dark shadows all around.

All monster crows with deadly beaks and wings as hard and sharp as blades suddenly surrounded the adventurers and ambushed them.

“Wh-what is thiiis!!”

“Dungeon, it’s a dungeon! We need to escape…!”

“Where to!!”

-Clatter.

“I’ll take the right.”

As my beloved two white elites intervened in between, it didn’t take long for the adventurers to be dealt with.

“There’s no one special. ‘Summon: Skeleton’.”

After eleven skeleton soldiers were added to the dungeon like that, we moved again to where we were heading.

“…No way.”

And finally, after passing through the ‘door’ and arriving at the place, Elias looked around in surprise, unable to close her mouth.

“Mamilè. You should know well where this is.”

The place we arrived at was the city of Mamilè.

Although not as big as Sonyataf, it was one of Heisen’s fortress cities standing at the border with the Kiza Kingdom.

A place expected to play the role of transferring goods coming through Gobakh, the western port of the Kiza Kingdom, to the Ironfield border area bordering the Xenota United Kingdom in the future.

It was also one of the places where I purchased a mansion to become an ‘entrance’ and set up traps.

“How am I here? We were clearly in Sonyataf…”

“There’s nothing I can’t tell you, but I’m busy now, so I’ll tell you when we meet later.”

“No, when will we meet later…”

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t know, does it?”

The conversation ended there.

I immediately told Elias one story that was pre-arranged for her.

A story that ‘she was cursed by a sorcerer clan after flirting with women as usual and turned into a woman’s body’.

“Then, I’m like a playboy…”

“It doesn’t seem that different.”

“…”

Of course, the background for him and all the characters were prepared.

“I came here at the master’s call. Please order me what to do.”

“Master. Preparations are complete.”

Elias’s uncle’s wife to play the role of fortune teller.

One Cerebrum Skull to play the role of young lady.

One sacrifice to play the role of pre-transformation Elias and die, and the post-transformation Elias herself.

“Hailey. Thank you for coming.”

“I don’t know where to put myself. Princess. Please call me anytime.”

“I’m waiting for the day to reward you. Make sure to catch an appropriate time.”

“Yes, please…!”

Lastly, Baroness Hailey to become a ‘witness’ and testify about Elias herself to the Ironfield Marquis family.

“Well then. See you next time. I hope you’ll be careful not to get caught. Elias.”

“I hope you’ll be safe too. My master.”

“Don’t worry needlessly. Hailey, you take care too.”

“Yes. Princess.”

Like that, we only returned to the dungeon after completing Elias’s alibi creation a few hours later.

* * *

“It’s already night, I’m sorry for taking away your rest time. Sonia.”

“Not at all, Teacher. I’m grateful that you keep making time for me despite being busy.”

It was late at night.

Coming at this time would generally be considered rude, but Sonia sincerely thought this wasn’t disrespectful.

When she was at the Mage Guild, it was reality that it was difficult to see the teacher’s face even during the day, let alone in the evening.

“You’re so good.”

…When I praise her kindly like this as if I’m really an old person, it feels a bit strange.

But that wasn’t a bad feeling.

It was just awkward because she rarely experienced being praised in her life, and the appearance of the person giving the praise seemed younger than herself.

“Let’s see the results of the task I gave you last time.”

“Ah, yes! ‘Mana Eye Opening’!”

Libertas’s eyes settled sternly as she watched what Sonia was doing.

The task she gave was ‘to use detection magic on mana, and through that sense, use magic beyond one’s original capacity’.

It’s impossible for an ordinary advanced mage, but it’s a method she suggested thinking it might be possible for the current Sonia.

『Attributes – Health 19 Technique 30(◀ 29) Durability 31 Magic Power 51(◀ 50) Resistance 37』

『Characteristics – Advanced Specialization: Detection Magic, Advanced Specialization: Curse, Advanced Specialization: Ice Magic…』

Sonia, who had undergone constant practice, raised her ‘technique’ by one level in the meantime, and ‘Magic Overadaptation’ also strengthened her magic power a bit more.

The method Libertas suggested was based on her magic power, which had lightly surpassed early elite grade, and the detection magic inherited from Leonis.

She believed Sonia would succeed with this method.

“…’Ice Flower’!”

The only problem was time, but that problem was just solved.

“I did it! I did it, Teacher!”

As Sonia summoned several ice flowers on her hand and on her shoulders.

A magic that normally summons flowers in the air to restrict enemy movement, functioning as auto-tracking mines for approaching enemies.

It’s easy to destroy from a distance, but instead, it’s a defensive technique that can excellently block a warrior’s approach.

“Excellent. You’re developing to the point where I need to look again even after just a day passes.”

“Haha…”

Libertas’s eyes curved gently seeing that.

Her eyes were filled with satisfaction and pride, which Sonia could quickly recognize.

“It’s thanks to your teaching, Teacher.”

“This method just pointed out the talent you have. You made up for the lacking coordinate observation ability and mana manipulation with your efforts. It’s truly excellent.”

“Hehe…”

“Come here. I’ll praise you.”

“Oh… yes!”

She, who had been pulling her hair shyly, carefully approached and sat by her teacher’s side at her call.

Soon, her teacher reached out and stroked her head.

“You’re doing well. Just keep going like this.”

“Thank you…”

When Libertas stroked her head like this, Sonia naturally recalled the time when they were in the cabin.

Although it was a painful time right after losing her friends who were like family, she remembered that peaceful period when she was recovering.

That warm sincerity and touch that only cared for her.

[Well done. As expected of my first disciple.]

While recalling that, she would soon recall ‘that time’ as well and become pained, and also come to hate her teacher…

These days, strangely, that pain is gradually decreasing and her heart is beating faster.

She knows it’s strange, but it’s becoming so peaceful that she doesn’t want to reject it.

It was thanks to her teacher who endlessly acknowledged and encouraged her who had never achieved anything.

However, today’s impression was a little different.

‘How dare you…’

“Ah…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. I’m sorry.”

Sonia, startled by the sudden thought that came to mind, and then startled again by her teacher’s puzzled gaze looking at her, pressed her chest and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

Of all things…

‘To overlap that book with Teacher. What’s wrong with me…’

As she felt her teacher’s hand stroking her hair once again, this time different emotions rushed in along with comfort.

Guilt and embarrassment.

“…?”

When she carefully raised her head from her kneeling position and met her eyes, her teacher moved her hand from stroking her hair to caressing her chin.

With clear ‘goodwill’.

‘How dare you harbor lustful thoughts towards me.’

Once again, her delusion overlaps above her teacher. A delusion of some noble lady looking down at her.

Sonia closed her eyes, trying to chase away that delusion.

“Is something wrong?”

[What’s wrong?]

However, thoughts naturally flood in the more you try to empty them.

As Sonia shrunk her body once again to avoid the touch, this time Libertas truly gave her a puzzled look.

“Ah, it’s nothing. I’m sorry. I…”

However, Sonia was in no position to accept her gaze or touch comfortably.

“…I think I’m tired.”

“Come to think of it, I’ve taken a lot of your time. You should rest. Let’s make your assignment a free assignment for the time being. It won’t take long until I return.”

“Ah…”

“Hm?”

Libertas, sensing ‘hesitation’ from Sonia who had lowered her head, no longer reached out her hand.

Feeling that presence, she let out a sigh of regret, but.

“No, it’s nothing! Sleep well!”

“Alright. Sleep well.”

Fortunately, or sacrilegiously. She was able to hide the feeling that was the cause.

Until her teacher left the room.

‘No. This is…’

But she had already felt that feeling.

Such a sacrilegious feeling, as if corruption had rushed into the most beloved, comfortable, and sacred time.