It’s Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

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– 1 –

The senior members of my information organization are all Cerebrum Skulls.

Beings with cunning far beyond that of ordinary Skeletons, alongside an intelligence befitting their cunning.

“Thank you!”

– A greater… loyalty…

“I expect continued hard work and achievements from you all.”

“Yes!”

– Yes…!

Those desiring greater abilities among them were granted evolution into higher beings or powers, while those seeking the realization of their selves rather than mere strength were bestowed with transformations into other races.

To those born with loyalty towards me, I fulfill their desires as a reward for their loyalty.

“You should come to the dungeon first.”

“I will visit shortly.”

The most senior and capable Talhan must be given a significant reward.

Since he had already declined rewards more than once, a more decisive reward with a strong showcasing effect for others was needed.

I already had something in mind for that reward.

“Before that, let’s take a look.”

“Yes? What…?”

“How much karma you have accumulated.”

For a moment, Talhan’s eyes trembled. It seemed that his inner anxiety had been stirred.

“Relax your mind.”

“Yes, Master.”

As I placed my hand on Talhan, who borrowed the body of the Information Guild’s Copgerin branch manager, Jason, a dark energy rose.

That energy soon transformed into purple flames that burrowed into his soul.

‘Not a pretty sight.’

As I examined his inner self, I thought so.

– Let me go – !!!!

– Kyaaaaaah!!!

The scream echoed from within him. It was the lament of those he had sacrificed.

The grievances and pain still vivid, instead fueled the power of the path he wished to tread.

[This becomes my nourishment.]

[I will take good care of your beloved.]

His thoughts and attitudes at the moment of creating those sacrifices were laid bare.

A cold and cruel heart.

Yet even as he indulged in all those desires, he never forgot one thing.

That to be loyal, one must desire, and to fulfill greed, one must maintain loyalty.

“Impressive.”

“I…”

Even after Talhan revealed his inner self, he only looked to me for guidance, without any thought of rebellion.

He probably already guessed what I had seen within him, yet he seemed acutely aware that I might dispose of him right there.

“Do not worry. I saw well.”

“That means…”

“A reward for you has been decided, so look forward to it.”

“Ah…”

Talhan finally let out a sigh of relief and bowed deeply to me.

“May my steadfast loyalty continue…”

“I do not expect such a thing. You know your way isn’t like that, and I know as well.”

“Haha… You’re being mischievous.”

“Just some old words.”

His loyalty wavered with anxiety yet remained unwavering.

And through this reward, that loyalty would only grow stronger.

– 2 –

The surveillance system of the information merchants was quite intricately crafted.

Direct reports from executives and indirect reports from watchers monitoring those executives.

“After all, that’s human work.”

Talhan’s words hit the mark.

A system utilizing human nature.

Not removing personal greed from work but controlling it through thorough surveillance.

It was a unique method of injecting loyalty into a group composed of personal desires.

“But if this is where it ends, there are surely loopholes.”

If both the executive and the watcher were in cahoots, loyalty could be faked without a worry.

“Thus, they implemented a rotation system for supervisors and watchers.”

Simply put.

Like a spring, the watchers move clockwise while the executives rotate counterclockwise, monitoring different targets periodically.

“So… how will you infiltrate?”

At my question, Talhan’s eyes gleamed.

“I’m aiming for the lower-ranked personnel, not the executives. The subordinates and the regular members…”

“Good thinking.”

No matter how many higher-ups you replace, you couldn’t change all the field agents at once.

Even if executives exchanged, the local agents familiar with the area were essential.

And they were the blind spots of this system.

“How do you plan to use their… ‘special loyalty’?”

A snake-like smile flickered on Talhan’s lips.

A gaze embodying both the schemer and the predator.

“Among the information merchants, many are like me. Their loyalty is all tied to personal gain.”

Acknowledging his incomplete loyalty, that voice showed no sign of prior shaking.

Moreover, he intended to make use of the flexibility of thought he gained from it.

Gradually, a sinister energy rose in his voice.

“Their interests do not stray from the bounds of common sense.”

After pausing momentarily, he gulped down some water.

Since I was the top authority, it was only natural to feel some tension.

“Money and power. Simple.”

A characteristic of information merchants.

Unlike guilds, they would not hesitate to commit any wrongdoing for profit, maintaining only a semblance of ‘integrity’ towards their superiors.

Ironically, their corruption was justified under the guise of loyalty.

“So…”

Talhan spread five chips of different colors across the table. His dexterous hands moved like a dealer in a gambling house.

“First, we should start with the disciples of ‘Thousand Faces.'”

His fingers skillfully arranged the chips.

Each chip was aligned in equal numbers, resembling a small battlefield.

“Each disciple has already established their own forces. While keeping each other in check, they maintain balance by watching their master. But…”

Several white chips were scattered among the other chips.

Like tossing stones into a tranquil pond.

“Thousand Faces has many children. Among the legitimate and illegitimate children, rumors say he wishes to pass on the organization to one of them…”

Taking a breath, he shot me a meaningful smile.

“We’ll spread those rumors.”

Indeed.

I smiled, covering my mouth with my hand.

And Talhan also took on a sharper, more sinister look.

“I will leak different information to each of them. Mixing truths that sound like lies, and lies that sound like truths. Some will think they are favored, while others will suspect betrayal…”

This time he grabbed the wine that had filled the cups before them.

After taking just a sip to moisten his throat, he leaned in to whisper more clearly.

“Once we seize control of the subordinates, all this information could appear as if it flowed from different disciples.”

“That would be right.”

I nodded.

Due to the nature of information merchants, they cared less about the truth of the information they acquired and were more interested in the profits they could create from it.

They would utilize that information regardless of whether it was true or false.

“Lastly…”

Talhan’s gaze darkened as he inhaled.

“We’ll leak rumors about his lifespan.”

“The disciples will become more anxious.”

“If anyone emerges to question Thousand Faces for succession, that would be splendid. The absolute being will not tolerate inquiries into himself.”

“And that will lead to raising suspicions.”

I drummed the table thoughtfully for a moment, then turned my gaze to Evangeline, who had been quietly listening by my side.

“What do you think?”

“Overall, it seems satisfactory, but…”

She spoke while filling her wine glass, her movements refined as if she were a trained attendant.

“There are certainly some clumsy parts.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

She placed her wine glass atop the chips Talhan had set.

The red liquid swirled gracefully within the crystal glass.

“Thousand Faces will surely live up to his name. There must be a reason he has reached such a position.”

“You’re suggesting that there might be a separate information network to detect signs of internal strife.”

“That is correct.”

Moreover, it was possible he had anticipated such a situation and prepared countermeasures.

He might even be testing loyalty by using the conflicts among his disciples.

“Anything else?”

“There may be disciples among them who possess pure loyalty.”

Evangeline’s insights were sharp.

Though appearing to indulge in personal desires not to disturb the atmosphere with colleagues, there would surely be some prioritizing the interests of either ‘Thousand Faces’ or ‘Gray Eye.’

“The longer this drags on…”

“The chances of discovery will only increase. We must conduct this rehearsal on a minimal scale.”

“That is correct. Once it begins, we can’t turn back.”

She handed me the wine glass.

Savoring the aroma rising from the glass, I pulled out the last piece of the puzzle.

“By the way, aren’t there already fragmented ‘Gray Eyes’ around here?”

Arpina Mailtron had manipulated the subhead and his subordinates to seize some of the information merchants.

And the information merchants who caught wind of this opted to expel them rather than recover them.

They believed they could not completely eliminate Arpina.

Rumors of ‘the one who escaped from Abellor’ or ‘the one who returned from death’ were still circulating.

Consequently, right now, there was a significant hole in the information network of Kaisen.

“They probably know that we are preventing information leaks. But…”

“They likely don’t know that some of their own have ‘changed.'”

If utilized, we could test our plans.

‘To think that a matter that initially annoyed me would prove to be so helpful…’

She had initiated something incredibly beneficial.

Talhan nodded at my words.

“As you say, utilizing this, we will surely gather plenty of data soon.”

“Good. I’ll leave it to you, so do well.”

What I needed were not Thousand Faces and his disciples or children. It was the field agents and information merchants.

It would only be beneficial for the upper echelons to be tearing each other apart.

If this plan succeeds, I could absorb information from the information merchants and the regions they oversaw, just like slicing a cake.

The ‘high-level information’ they currently possessed could be extracted through other means.

“Of course, let’s finish your reward before we start this task.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Stay at the dungeon. I’ll be looking around elsewhere.”

“Understood, Master.”

Talhan smiled and bowed deeply, and I lightly patted his shoulder.

The remaining time was spent enjoying the dinner he had carefully prepared.

It was a meal time that wasn’t bad at all.

– 3 –

I needed half a day more to stay in Copgerin.

There were more things prepared by Eve than I had expected.

Though I did not cook directly, the meticulously tasted and prepared dating course couldn’t be overlooked.

“If I were an ordinary person, I would have gained weight immediately.”

As I said this with a laugh, Evangeline looked a little uncomfortable with my remark.

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“If there were another party, they’d see me as a monster rather than a Dungeon Lord.”

My joking remark caused Evangeline’s expression to become even more strained.

I could tease her knowing how she would react because her responses were so genuine and adorable to me.

“Um… I apologize.”

“It’s alright. It was enjoyable. Thanks to being with someone.”

“Ah…”

Evangeline’s face flushed. I couldn’t help but smile at the irresistible charm emanating from that expression.

The joy of such small conversations is…

The next destination was the Count Gules territory.

The city, Solemio, which I effectively governed, originally belonged to this place.

Actually, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to visit Gremit where Hailey is now that I’ve come this far north…

‘But there’s no time, and the distance is great.’

The cart I was riding was special.

An Undead Cart that could run for 24 hours without the need for the driver or the horses to tire or rest. But that doesn’t mean it could surpass physical limits.

If that were the case, they would have built a flying cart instead.

Even if I pass through Tribres City in the southern part of the royal capital, which is one of the entrances to my ‘mansion,’ it would still be quite a distance to Gremit.

Unfortunately, it seemed I wouldn’t be able to meet Hailey this time.

“I’m sorry.”

As I conveyed that thought, Hailey’s voice, transmitted through the communication crystal, sounded very urgent.

– That’s not what I wanted to hear…! I’m grateful just for the sentiment, Master.

“Yeah. Let’s meet when the entrance installation is completed there.”

– Of course! I will be waiting with bated breath.

“Then, take care.”

– I hope you have a safe journey, Master!

In the end, I decided to postpone the additional reward for Hailey.

It was an unavoidable choice.

In just a week, a banquet was scheduled with the lords of the southern riverbanks.

That event would also serve as a reward for Echidna, who accomplished a significant feat in this war.

In terms of importance, this one seemed weightier.

Clack-clack…

Hearing the sound of the cart wheels, I fell lost in thought.

Amelia, my vassal and second disciple, must be waiting for me in the Count Gules territory.

She had already arrived there, awaiting my arrival.

“Let’s see what kind of person this suitor is.”

A smile crept across my lips.

I had been anticipating this moment since I heard news that there was a suitor for Amelia shortly after the territorial war began.

I had been waiting for this moment to see if the noble who proposed to her indeed had the qualifications and how Amelia was taking this situation.

The cart continued to race toward the count’s territory as I closed my eyes, imagining those I would soon meet.

– 4 –

“Ha…”

Elena looked toward Yuran, who released a sigh next to her.

In an uncharacteristic manner, Yuran exhaled a sigh, yet in her own way, she gazed longingly toward the direction of the dungeon.

‘Seems like she’s worried about something.’

‘I want to spend the night with the young master, doing this and that…’

The two seemed to have thoughts that oddly harmonized yet clashed.