It's Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

* * *

"You've worked hard."

Guided by Zarkra's daughter, who received the name Berghrisa.

In other words, the dungeon heir, I gathered everything that needed to be collected from her dungeon and returned to my dungeon.

"It was nothing. Thank you. And..."

"I'll deliver your parents' bodies soon."

"Yes..."

The bodies of Zarkra and Whira Juul were in a badly damaged state due to the necessities of the battlefield.

There's no need to show them in that bad state to their child.

When I looked at Evangeline, she nodded as if she understood.

Even though I hadn't said anything yet.

I trusted her and immediately turned my gaze away.

'It was quite good.'

The main harvest was Zarkra's core and Berghrisa herself, but there were all kinds of magical potions and spellbooks that Zarkra had been researching, so it wasn't a bad plunder.

Also, among them were books containing knowledge of the otherworld.

"Just opening them would contaminate the mind of an ordinary summon or human. I could probably read them, but Xue or Ran..."

"To that extent..."

"Yes. Knowledge of the otherworld is very dangerous."

"Hmm."

It's ironic that when I look at it directly, I can't feel the danger, so the real ability seems to fade.

I shouldn't put them in the library, but in my personal room.

After all, in my dungeon, only I can see these books.

Swoosh!

Hearing the sound of magic power activating, I raised my head to see Xue and Sonia returning as well.

They were returning from Melzeros's dungeon.

"Were there no other heirs or key figures for him?"

"There were only rebellious ones... so I killed them."

"Master. Rather than that, we found many strange books..."

Come to think of it, there must have been books containing otherworldly knowledge there too.

Just in case, I decided to warn them strongly.

"Don't even think about opening them. If you do, you'll never see me again. In a bad way."

"Yes...?"

Sonia's face turned pale as soon as she heard my words, while Xue looked triumphant, as if to say 'I prevented her from opening it'.

Behind them, I could see skeletons piling up the harvests brought from Melzeros's dungeon.

"Don't think about opening them until I classify and inform you separately."

I ordered all the otherworldly books among them to be brought to my personal room.

However, since I alone can't fully verify the dangers, it's probably something I should do with at least Evangeline or a magician armed with magic tools that resist contamination.

And Evangeline is the person with the most to do in my dungeon.

So.

I decided to use personnel who had only been the dungeon's combat power until now.

"Jin Kyung."

"Me?"

"Yes."

Jin Kyung pointing at herself with a puzzled face, and Sonia looking subtly disappointed.

I gestured to my disciple, and as she approached, I put my hand on her head, stroking it while saying:

"They're dangerous books. You could die if you look at them wrongly. Wait."

"Ah, I see... I understand."

Nodding as if she understood, she now began to look at Jin Kyung worriedly.

She was quite a worrisome one.

"There's a lot I can't figure out."

Leaving Jin Kyung who seemed somehow uneasy meeting Sonia's gaze, I turned to check the other spoils.

Perhaps because they belonged to Dungeon Lords with more experience than me, there were quite a few items I didn't know about.

"I will classify them and call the guild."

I just nodded at Ran's report.

Ordinary materials can just be piled up, so the ones that need classification aren't that many compared to the whole.

She would quickly classify and organize them.

-Master!

"Come here."

Leaving the classification of items to my people, I approached one side with Meary perched on my shoulder.

Evangeline remained for classification, and naturally, Xue stuck close behind with Axe as escorts.

Those at my destination were the defeated soldiers who were fretting about what to do now.

It was in the direction where Weredragon Quirisia and her subordinates were.

"Lady Quirisia. Our secret agreement has been fulfilled."

"Lady Libertas... congratulations on your victory."

Quirisia seemed to be trying to maintain as dignified an attitude as possible, but at the same time, there was no real dignity in her appearance.

Above all, she couldn't meet my eyes, so her dignity couldn't be maintained.

'It can't be helped.'

The actual strength of my dungeon that she directly witnessed was enough for her to know that her surrender wasn't even necessary.

Force is a value that works much better on demons, who have stronger instincts than humans.

I didn't make any particular comments to her and just did what I had to do.

"Take these."

It was the distribution of spoils.

After all, we were temporary allies, weren't we?

If I let her return without any spoils like this, she would greatly lose her position within the Archduke's forces, and in the worst case, she could be expelled.

That clearly wouldn't suit my taste either. After all, it would be happening because of my machinations.

Besides, I had already used up all the cruelty I needed to employ today.

"These too."

"Are you... giving me these books?"

"Of course. If you take them and show them to Archduke Astaroth, it should be sufficient reason for your actions this time."

Although what I handed over was a very small amount, among them were also otherworldly books that seemed to contain relatively less important knowledge.

It's knowledge that Dantalion, who calls himself and is called secret, gave to his subordinates.

It should be enough to be spoils that will win the favor of another Archduke.

But she seemed more surprised by my attitude than the books.

"You... speak casually to the Archduke."

"He's not someone I serve, just the lord of someone I saw as an enemy, so there's no need to be overly respectful, is there?"

"...Huh."

Quirisia's eyes, which had been looking at me with strangeness and some fear, were tinged with surprise, but I ignored her and looked around at her forces.

A legion composed mainly of aquatic Werebeasts.

Even a quick glance showed which parts needed to be supplemented.

"I'll add some of Melzeros and Zarkra's surrendered troops as well. That should help you increase your power within the Archduke's forces."

"Why go to such lengths?"

"You should know without me having to say it."

Hearing my words, she closed her eyes tightly and then opened them, and after a moment, gave an answer.

"I can't come out alone."

"That's not necessary."

The answer she mistakenly gave.

When I immediately shook my head upon hearing those words, she made an expression as if her pride had been strangely hurt.

Was I too blunt?

"Weren't you trying to draw me into your demon realm?"

"Isn't the distance between your dungeon and mine quite far? The benefits of doing that are small. Let's just maintain contact."