It’s Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

Chapter 48




Naturally, there were a few things that were strictly prohibited for the contractors living within the Dungeon.

– Moving beyond a certain distance from the Dungeon.
– Accessing the Dungeon Lord, that is, my personal chamber or resource storage.
– Using force that could unleash mana waves either inside the Dungeon or nearby.

The above three were representative, and of course, it was established that if any circumstances were reported beforehand, the restrictions could be lifted under surveillance.

To be honest, I think those criteria are pretty lenient.

– “What’s going on suddenly? Daniel, do you know something?”

– …

“Everyone’s gathered, then…”

However, this time, the first case of violating those criteria had occurred.

This couldn’t just be overlooked.

Immediately, all contractors and sentient beings within the Dungeon were summoned, while those outside the Dungeon who could observe were allowed to do so through visuals that only they could see.

This was for a process that could barely be called a trial, merely an execution of discipline.

“Speak. Maria.”

“Did I do something? I’m not sure.”

“This is about the reason you wielded violence inside the Dungeon, Maria. Using mana, no less.”

Am I being too much, knowing all the circumstances already?

Not at all.

This incident doesn’t even require the word “too”; it was something that had to be disciplined. Both to establish the authority of the rules and to ensure that I, the Dungeon’s Lord, would not be disregarded.

If a Lord doesn’t know how to establish authority, the order of the entire realm crumbles.

Having just learned today that my attitude towards the sentient beings within the Dungeon is somewhat lenient, there was no reason to hesitate in this action.

“Is what you did, when you couldn’t even aim at your target, worthy of being called violence?”

“Exchanging force without the consent of the parties involved and using language to oppress is all violence. I never thought I’d have to discuss such fundamental ideas with a non-human like myself.”

“I never expected a human to enjoy imitating humanity. The great Lady of the Dungeon.”

Maria spat out a sarcastic comment, laced with a simple provocation toward me.

Frankly, it was nothing more than a cute provocation in my eyes, but…

– Crack!

– Grrr…

The reaction was immediate.

Everyone present here, along with the sentient beings, either held some goodwill towards me or simply couldn’t tolerate the mockery directed at me.

“What’s the matter? Do you have some complaints? Then go ahead and try to kill me. After all, aren’t these little bastards powerless without their master’s command?”

It was a provocation mixed with despair characteristic of those consumed by hatred, wishing for their opponent’s ruin.

And, watching those provoked, a crazed delight shone in the eyes of a foe who wouldn’t hesitate at murder.

– “Maria…”

Though I wasn’t present in the room, I briefly glanced at one of those observing this scene.

A man with bright green hair, who loved Maria. Daniel was bowing his head, eyes tightly shut, as if he couldn’t bear to watch her.

He should be watching. To see what punishment she would receive.

So that she wouldn’t have to endure such things again and for me to advise her properly.

“Let’s correct a few misconceptions.”

I stood up from the large chair and approached Maria.

Slowly, I walked around her.

Then, lightly, I threw out my words.

“If, as you claimed, these kids were my cute little puppies… then you are currently in a position worse than my dogs. To put it another way…”

Pausing my speech, I looked at the restraining device around Maria’s neck, and she seemed to feel some embarrassment as she covered it with her hand and glared at me.

Seeing that, an appropriate word came to mind.

“… Right. A slave.”

“You dare…!”

“Yes. You, the adventurer who became a slave after being caught by a Dungeon Lord, even a mere mediocre one.”

“Ugh -!”

Currently dressed in a maid outfit, Maria wore only the restraining device around her neck, without any other restraints.

Mana restraining devices hold not only the mana itself but also various attributes and characteristics reinforcing the body.

With attributes reduced to half or less, and all her characteristics sealed, facing my skeleton duo was already a challenge for her.

This, too, was why neither Evangeline nor anyone else intervened, despite my approaching her to express the hatred directed at me.

“What kind of kind master would grant such a lenient allowance of all actions to such a slave? I knew you were sharpening your knife against me all along.”

“That’s because you…!”

“Yes. That’s the second misconception.”

As I stood directly in front of her, I could see Maria’s quivering pupils clearly.

It was as if she had already figured out what I was about to say.

“Maria. Maria. Your actions have been far too noisy for the townsfolk. You could hear and see them without even trying, couldn’t you? Surely, it must have been even more so for the members of the Information Guild.”

“Wait… Are you saying the townspeople sold me…?”

Sometimes, people tend to believe the words of those they want to dismiss rather than those of close friends.

[They said this was a sure investment, right?]

The more blinded someone is by some obsession, the more likely they are to believe such things.

“Well, they probably didn’t intend to do that. They likely didn’t know who they were selling to.”

Of course, the Information Guild of Solemio realized what they had done after the events unfolded and tried to take the necessary actions immediately.

They reached out to Maria and Remia’s parents.

“It was in vain.”

However, those attempts were all about to be shut down.

They couldn’t possibly know that both my Cerebrum Skull and the top branches of the Copgerin Guild had infiltrated the Solemio Information Guild.

While not forever, I could buy some time. By the time that contact reached its original target, I would have already made my preparations.

All I needed was to block direct communications.

“Then… I…”

“What you did was merely a tantrum, wrapped in misunderstandings.”

“… No.”

Her legs went weak, and she shook her head in denial.

Yet the expression as she bit her lip was no different from a sign of her already accepting my every word as the truth.

Her next words proved it.

“What did you do to Uncle?”

“I didn’t kill him. He was quite devoted to your family. Even while knowing he was dying, he worried about you all.”

If that old man even remotely displayed any hint of betrayal, I wouldn’t have hesitated to kill him.

Gaining the entire trust of a family and acquiring the title of family is no easy feat. Even among families, personal traits don’t align perfectly.

People who gain that kind of trust but could betray it are cases that cannot be used in any way.

Such a person must be eradicated to prevent future troubles.

Fortunately, he hadn’t revealed anything and had instead tried to die on his own. Maria had provided that person with her parents’ contact information, which means she could have saved him by exposing it.

Paradoxically, that’s how he was saved.

Because I wanted to possess Maria.

“I didn’t… kill him?”

“If you wanted, I could let you meet him once. But you wouldn’t get to see him again after that.”

“If you kill Uncle…!”

“If that were to happen, I wouldn’t have kept him alive. This is my mercy, Maria. Don’t test me any further.”

Now, there was only one thing left to say.

I lifted Maria’s chin with her empty eyes and met her gaze.

“And lastly.”

“…”

“You haven’t just broken the rules of the Dungeon. You’ve also violated the contract, Maria.”

“What…? When did I…!”

Upon hearing the word “contract,” a momentary glimmer returned to her eyes.

Of course.

What was at stake wasn’t just her life.

“Didn’t I say? ‘Do your utmost to survive.’ And what you’ve done now… was a willful and passive suicide attempt that disregarded the potential for murder by others.”

“That’s…!”

“Is it wrong?”

What I was pointing out was her provocations from earlier.

She expressed that she wouldn’t mind dying at the hands of my summons. While that was likely born of despair, it was still intentional talk that guided her own murder.

This was a breach of one of the two contract conditions I had laid down for her.

Strictly speaking, one could argue she also broke the second condition of “not disrupting the Dungeon’s proceedings” by gathering all personnel to this place, but that didn’t need further elaboration.

The punishment I prepared for her was already in place.

“Now, don’t you feel like talking?”

“What… about?”

“If there was a valid reason for your actions, couldn’t I show a little leniency?”

What I hoped for here was for her, in her scattered state, to at least provide some justification for herself.

If she had even mentioned ‘justifiable resentment,’ I might have recognized that as mitigation to some degree.

However, Maria did not take that path.

“… Who do you think you are?”

Her choice was to deny me.

I hadn’t expected it, but it was as I had anticipated.

“I am your master, and the rightful owner of this Dungeon where you linger.”

“Hah… I don’t want to deny the title of my master anymore. My master is always me. But the ground belongs to humanity. You are just…”

“Again, a fundamental argument.”

Well.

In the attitude of Maria, who spoke of rebellion, there was no longer any active resistance felt.

I sensed the time had come.

‘I must have her, even by force.’

It was time to subdue her without stripping everything away.

If I continued to treat her generously here and that brings about a bad outcome, the only end would be her ruin.

“All Lords are, before being rulers, invaders and occupiers. You can see that in human history.”

“…”

“It’s the same when one sentient being dominates another. All Lords also occupy the freedom of others. Thus, I am your Lord and…”

As I approached her, kneeling behind her, I placed a hand on her shoulder and neck and whispered my final words into her ear.

“… your master.”

As I pulled away from Maria and returned to my seat, Evangeline, who had been showing anger since a while ago, stepped forward.

In her hand was a particularly sturdy-looking long bone.

I signaled her to restrain herself with my eyes before looking down at Maria, issuing my order.

“Get up and lift your skirt, Maria.”

“What…?”

Of course, the response was a cocktail of disbelief and confusion.


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