It's Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

* * *

Two forces battling while clearing away the trapped fog and the fir trees holding that fog.

Both sides were wearing shiny black shells, making it difficult to distinguish them at first glance, but there were characteristics that could be recognized with a little observation.

“Kyalarak-!!”

“Kishaak!!”

Among them, most of those standing upright had blue-gray shells embedded like points here and there on their bodies that seemed like they could blend into the fog, while those crawling like beasts had black or deep blue body hair in the same way all over their bodies.

‘It’s like unit classification in a strategy game.’

As Libertas thought, or like an army.

“Kyalak-!!”

A warrior with two pairs of legs and one pair of arms charges towards the enemy in front, gripping different weapons in each hand.

That speed was incredibly fast.

Despite having legs extending left and right centered on the torso, which seemed utterly unsuitable for charging in a straight line.

Crack!

“Keushhh!!”

The warrior who charged like that brought down the axe in his right hand towards the enemy, and the enemy who didn’t see that axe because they were dealing with another nearby enemy screamed while quickly retrieving their half-split rear end.

However, the enemy doesn’t die just from that.

“Die-!!”

The warrior, learning from that experience, charged in while thrusting the spear in his left hand.

Twack!

“Keugh…!”

Right after, his body was pierced by something digging into his side.

By another monster twice the size of the monster whose belly the warrior had just ripped open.

Crack, crack!!

A giant warrior who lifts one pair of legs that were supporting the ground along with two spears, tearing the enemy’s body into four pieces.

“Don’t retreat-!! Our king, He watches over His children!”

He shouted while being splattered with blood and mucus.

He was a male warrior with an impressive pale human upper body attached to a giant black body crawling on eight legs.

“Don’t retreat-!!”

After encouraging his comrades and subordinates, the warrior tried to move freely across the battlefield, gripping armor of the same color as his body and two spears.

Whoosh, thud!!

“Kahh…”

Until he lost his life to spears thrust by numerous enemy warriors rushing at him shortly after.

An anticlimactic ending that contrasted with his energetic start of movement.

“Kill-!!”

“Kyaaaak!”

Such situations were happening all over the battlefield.

Regardless of which side.

* * *

Although the distance from where the carriage stopped to here wasn’t far, the scene that gradually revealed itself along with the sounds was very intense.

The sight of two camps, and countless soldiers and warriors forming those camps, rushing in without sparing their lives.

This forcibly created clearing in the forest was filled with the sounds of blood and death that hadn’t been heard until just a moment ago.

‘Why couldn’t the sound be heard… Ah.’

The reason could be understood after thinking for a moment.

Because the fir trees were holding onto the water they needed as fog, the sound from there wasn’t reaching well the position where I was.

Since both sound and smell are ultimately transmitted by air movement, and this fog was constrained by the trees’ magic power and hardly moving.

“How did you know? Neither sound nor smell should have leaked out.”

So I couldn’t help but be curious about how Xue was able to detect this place.

“Blood… I can detect the blood of living beings.”

“I see. So you had such an ability.”

That means there’s a power among Xue’s abilities that even the system window hasn’t grasped yet…

We’ll have more topics to discuss with them.

-Kyalaak!!

-Kishaak!!

I turn my head back to the battlefield.

The current situation on the battlefield was somewhat more advantageous for the ‘blue-gray’ side.

Although the individual abilities they possessed were weaker compared to the ‘black-blue’ side, instead, the ‘blue-gray’ side was overwhelming in terms of numbers, organization, and fighting spirit.

-Kyalalalak!!

-Killkillkillkillkill!

-Kyakakak!

These creatures didn’t care at all whether someone died beside or in front of them, or even if their own arms or legs flew off.

Whether they looked like regular soldiers or those playing the role of higher-ranking officers, they were all just rushing towards the enemy with their eyes rolled back.

Looking at the overall situation, they were creating formations by adjusting the strength of advance and retreat, but other than that, they were all advancing as if they had become berserkers.

-Kishaak!!

-Tear them apart and kill them!!!

Not that the other side was much less in this regard.

Although it was only inferior compared to the ‘blue-gray’ side, the ‘black-blue’ side was also charging in without any retreat.

“They’re properly out of their minds.”

“Either way, they follow their king like a parent.”

“Well. Those…”

It’s too intense to be called reverence and affection for a parent individual, and it looks like at least fanaticism no matter how you look at it.

I wonder if Serha’s perspective is different, or if the meaning of ‘mother’ among demons and monsters is different from what I know.

‘Looking at how they fight, it seems there’s value in either side.’

Feeling myself being persuaded towards the latter while continuing to watch the battlefield, before I knew it, all the fighting had ended.

It was already in the final stages when we arrived.

The losing side wasn’t retreating in that situation either, so the battle was continuing fiercely.

“They’re going. Let’s follow.”

“Okay.”

A little while later, I also started walking, following behind the ‘blue-gray’ side that began to move after eating and processing all the corpses on the battlefield.

“Wait. Intruders.”

It didn’t take long for them to notice my presence.

It’s natural since I didn’t intend to hide myself from the beginning.

However, it also didn’t take long for the expression of what looked like the general of the blue-gray monsters to stiffen as they approached, shooting a sharp gaze this way.

What covered that face was astonishment.

“Could it be…”

Her gaze went towards Serha who was following half a step behind me, then soon looked at my face and stopped about ten steps ahead, deeply bowing her waist in that spot.

It was a perfect prostration posture that seemed like I had seen somewhere before.

“This lowly one greets the Dungeon Queen.”

From behind, other soldiers were also seen hesitating before bowing towards us.

One thing was clear.

Although the northern queen was keeping her distance from me for some reason, she wasn’t hostile yet.

Otherwise, this general and soldiers’ waists would have been a bit straighter.

“You’re quick-witted.”

“Thank you! …May I… dare to ask for permission to voice a question?”

“Go ahead.”

“Why…”

The general who uttered the first syllable paused for a moment in that state.

It was a timidity unbelievable for someone who had been leading the frenzied charge until just now, but this appearance shown when not in battle must be her original personality.

By the way, she’s using quite a formal speech.

Despite being a subordinate created by wild monsters, she’s clear-minded and well-mannered.

Swish.

“…What business brings you to this coniferous forest…”

When I silently urged her by making a sound of moving the hem of my clothes, she finally spat out her question as if having a fit.

Of course, I had only one answer.

“I have come to see your queen and speak directly.”

“…Th-that, phew… It is presumptuous to say, but we must now move to another area and carry out other orders.”

She seemed to relax deeply, loosening her shoulders, then soon tensed up again and asked for my understanding.

In an old-fashioned retainer’s speech, with something familiar added that I had seen on Earth.

“Therefore, although I should personally escort you as is proper, may I ask forgiveness for the rudeness of providing guidance to the Dungeon Queen?”

“There’s no need for that. I came to see you all fighting.”

“Wh… what?”

My words must have been quite unexpected.

Seeing how she unknowingly loosened her perfectly maintained posture.

“Are you questioning my intention?”

“I-I’m sorry!”

She buried her head again as soon as she heard my next words that fell on her head.

“But as this is a matter between leaders, I dare ask forgiveness for prioritizing loyalty to our queen over my lowly self… Also…”

“Also?”

“Although you have visited another queen’s territory, if you do not meet the person you should meet first, it would be mutually disrespectful and surely cause embarrassment, so I dare not know where to put myself…!”

…The more I listen, the more her way of speaking seems to make me somewhat dizzy.

I don’t know if it’s just her or if they’re all like this.

Still, her loyalty is understandable, and if the queen isn’t at the level of being hostile to me yet…

“Alright. I understand.”

It might be fine to have a conversation before visiting the other side.

“Then…?”

“Your loyal advice is commendable, so I’ll set aside my intention and meet your master first.”

“Ah, how can this lowly one express this ocean-like gratitude I feel towards the Dungeon Queen…”

“Go on your way.”

“Yes!”

…She was more headache-inducing than dealing with enemies.

That was the impression that came to mind as I watched the general who attached military courtesy and disappeared.

* * *

The place we arrived at, crossing the battlefield while being guided by a platoon of monsters provided by the general, was a small cave made at the foot of the mountain.

From the outside, it looked very similar to the initial appearance of my dungeon.

“This is the place. Would you not permit us to cease our guidance here and return to the battlefield?”

“Yes. Do so.”

They really like to stretch out their words excessively.

Is this how their usually diligent and constantly moving nature is applied?

It’s hard to say.

“Welcome.”

As we entered the cave like that.

The first living being we met had an outer shell made of carapace like the other monsters outside, but was a female body that didn’t look like a warrior at all no matter how you looked at it.

“The Queen has been waiting for the guests.”

The maid greeted us while kneeling modestly and bowing, though not prostrating like the general.

Although there was no sign of the general sending a messenger ahead, her expression and words seemed to indicate that she knew we were coming.

‘They must have some means of long-distance communication. Something like pheromones perhaps.’

“Hello!”

Unlike those wearing heavy armor outside, she had a pair of legs, a head with large pitch-black eyes and antennae attached, an upper body resembling a human but with two pairs of arms, and a slender and delicate appearance that was fully revealed.

The person who approached such a maid and spoke first was, of course, Serha, my guide.

“Oh my. Lady Serha.”

The face of the ‘maid’ who discovered her brightened.

It seems they are acquainted with each other.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen you since the last exchange!”

“Right? How is the Queen?”

“She’s busy with construction these days, but still healthy. Ah, she says to bring you in. I’ll guide you. Dungeon Queen.”

“Do so.”

Along with words and actions that turned my guess into certainty, she slightly turned her body to point inside and started leading the way as soon as she heard my answer.

The cave we walked through following such a maid…

‘It’s incredibly spacious.’

It was neatly organized enough to completely wash away preconceptions about them.

At a glance, you could tell that they had made almost the entire inside of the mountain their territory.

“So you use carapace even in places like this.”

“It’s our Queen’s wisdom.”

“It seems so.”

The high walls inside the cave and the pillars erected in between were all covered with a black substance similar to their carapace.

It seemed to be to compensate for the weakened ground strength from carving out such a wide space.

‘…Well, if it’s not a fluid substance, it wouldn’t have been detected in the components of the outside fir trees.’

“This way, Your Majesty.”

While looking around their nest which was like a dungeon, I discovered a peculiar means of transportation in the plaza inside the cave.

What I saw following the maid’s guidance was a monster with giant flower petals resembling a lotus on its back.

A monster so large that for a moment I felt as if my body had become incredibly small like Alice and entered a smaller world.

“An interesting creature.”

“It’s a creature that guides us to the inner royal audience chamber. Because it’s so wide and high here.”

When I reached out my hand near the creature’s face, it shrank its neck as if afraid for a moment, then slowly extended it again.

As if realizing I had no killing intent or hostility, it carefully rubbed its chin against my hand.

Although its outward appearance should be called fierce, its true nature was an utterly pure monster.

“It’s quite rare to see this creature open its heart to other species. The Dungeon Queen must have really pleased it.”

“Is that so? I like it too.”

“If you mention it to the Queen, she might give you one as a friend.”

“That’s an interesting story.”

If I hadn’t decorated my dungeon in a mansion style, I might want to bring in one or two as well.

Thump-thump-thump!

As our party climbed onto the creature, the giant monster began to cross the cave at a speed faster than a carriage.

Despite its quite large size, it moved incredibly quietly and quickly.

The driving force seemed to be its six pairs of legs, much thicker and more muscular than those of its smaller kin, which were touching the ground instead of arms.

Because the strength of its legs is enormous, it can crawl without putting burden or vibration on the ground.

It’s a well-designed creature.

Tak…

After crossing the cave like that and instantly climbing stairs that seemed to lead to the queen’s quarters no matter how you looked at it, we arrived in front of a large door.

It was a comfortable ride, except that the vibration was slightly more intense than a carriage.

“Your Majesty. The guests have arrived.”

-Bring them in.

“Yes! I’ll guide you. Your Majesty.”

The woman… no, the one I had thought was a maid until now, headed inside the door opened by soldiers on both sides without hesitation.

That was clearly not the attitude of a subordinate.

“Welcome, Dungeon Queen.”

Following her inside, there stood a monster that seemed to say ‘I am a knight’ at first glance.

Upon discovering us, she took off the helm she was wearing on her head, and greeted with a bow, indicating her other shoulder with one hand.

“I am Orea. Queen of the Myrmikian, Clever clan.”

Myrmikian.

It was an encounter with the queen leading the ‘ant people’.