It’s Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

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– 1 –

“Get up and lift your skirt, Maria.”

“What…?”

“If you’ve done something wrong, shouldn’t you be punished?”

Maria stood there dazed, having only understood the command to get up without grasping the rest of the words.

“Or, we could instead collect the punishment you deserve from Daniel.”

With that, I provided her with another option, hoping she could make a decision regardless of whether she understood me.

“What… are you planning to take from him?”

Her reaction was immediate.

They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, and for her, Daniel’s newfound abilities had likely become a source of her sense of accomplishment that I had relayed to her.

To take that away would mean dismantling what she had built within this dungeon.

“It could be his abilities. Or his mana. Perhaps even his lifespan.”

– Lady. That punishment is mine…

“The choice is Maria’s. Daniel, your master’s time… has already passed. Maria.”

After a brief silence, Maria bit her lip and began to lift her skirt up to her calves.

Below, her moderately tanned skin was revealed.

Maintaining her shape through consistent exercise, her legs radiated health.

While the enhancement of ‘physical strength’ and ‘endurance’ likely faded away due to attributes, her inherent training would not simply vanish.

“More.”

“What… do you mean?”

“I’ve already told you, Maria.”

Once again biting her lip until it bled, Maria ultimately accepted the ‘command’ and continued to raise her skirt until her healthily toned legs were nearly fully exposed, restrained tightly by her garter belt.

Her calves were too ordinary to be a punishment in this world, but her thighs would certainly induce a greater psychological impact.

What I wanted was for her to unravel and recognize that state for herself.

There was no need for excessive shame, yet I had no intention of letting this punishment be taken lightly.

“That’s enough.”

Only after the skirt had risen to that precarious area above her thighs did I finally stop her and motioned to Evangeline.

The ensuing scene before my eyes was not particularly pleasing either.

– Snap -!

“…!”

Provocations aimed at the entire audience and directed toward me.

Perhaps due to the emotions that had built up, Evangeline’s punishment for her was merciless.

Thanks to the preemptive stop, it wasn’t excessive—but barely so.

– Snap -!

“Ugh…!”

– Snap -!!

“Ugh…!”

– Snap -!!!

“Guh…!!”

On the long legs that had turned relatively pale from a month spent in the dungeon without sunlight, red marks began to appear.

The humiliation of receiving what looked like punishment usually dealt to children in front of everyone.

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

The sight of a person’s self-esteem crumbling before my eyes.

I didn’t watch all this because I enjoyed the painful spectacle; I was bound by the obligation to take responsibility for her moving forward.

That sense of duty wasn’t just confined to watching.

“Enough.”

“Ugh… ugh…”

As Maria collapsed at the declaration of the end, I immediately announced the next course of action.

“The next will be the penalty for contract violation.”

“It’s… not over…?”

“This was merely the penalty for breaking the dungeon’s rules. Maria. The execution of the penalty you must face for violating the contract remains.”

What I held in my hand was the contract between Maria and Daniel.

Maria was just blankly staring, while Daniel slowly closed his eyes.

“I will now collect. Maria, I will take from you the use of swords, and from Daniel, I will take the ability to attack from behind.”

“Wait! Not Daniel…!”

Then I made a decision mixed with my final mercy.

A resolution that took into account the justified resentment.

“I won’t take away all of Daniel’s abilities here. But you need to know what you’ve put him through, that you’ve endangered someone precious to you and that you’ve been punished for it.”

『Name – Daniel Smith』

『Ability – …, Ambush』

『Ability – …, Assault』

『Name – Maria Olas』

『Ability – …, Advanced Specialization: Swordsmanship』

『Ability – …, Specialization: Swordsmanship (sealed)』

『Ability – Necromancy, … Mana Overadaptation, Flaw Detection, Specialization: Swordsmanship』

Daniel’s ambush combined with his assault and my flaw detection granted Maria’s swordsmanship the specialty, which subsequently sealed off the other abilities she possessed.

Though Daniel had additional powers gained through sacrifice, this penalty came across as effectively nothing for him.

Maria would feel that the sword she held no longer moved at her command.

“With this, I conclude the first disciplinary execution. Everyone except Maria is dismissed.”

Once the skeletons exited, left were Evangeline, Lin Xue, and the four humans belonging to my dungeon.

Eve and Xue had not exited as they weren’t included in the “everyone,” while the others had different business.

“Master. Sister… no, she’s had enough…”

– Lady. She…

“I’m not going to give her more punishment. Of course, I won’t torment her either. Sonia, Daniel. Don’t worry and do your tasks.”

“… Yes, Master.”

– It will be all right, Lady Sonia.

– … Understood.

Although their reactions were lukewarm, the three of them left, accepting it as such.

The sight of Sonia waiting at the door was visible through the necromancer’s eyes, but I had no intention to comment further on that.

In any case, they had managed to prevent a complete rupture of their relationship.

“… Is there something more… you want to say?”

“… ”

Maria, on her knees in tatters, seemed to have no strength left to move.

The mental strain she must have experienced, and the shocking truths she had learned today likely weighed heavily.

I made no response to her question and merely reached out to take what Xue presented and then forcibly pulled her legs closer.

“What… are you doing?! You said you wouldn’t touch me again!”

“Stay still.”

I opened the lid of what I received from Xue and applied the slimy substance onto her legs.

Well, it was just an ordinary ointment; I simply infused it with herbs to enhance its healing properties.

“… You think I won’t hate you because of this?”

After applying the medicine with ease and beginning to wrap her legs in bandages, Maria glared at me with powerless eyes, still boiling with emotions.

The answer was already decided.

“It’s perfectly fine to hate me as much as you want.”

“What?”

“Feel free to hate me as much as you like. That will be your right after I took your sibling from you.”

“Huh…?”

That must have been an unexpected reply for her.

Well, it would make sense. Most people dislike being hated.

I also maintained an exterior that appeared human.

“But you must remember.”

“Remember what…?”

“That does not grant you the right to kill yourself.”

She blinked a few times, then tears began to flow from her eyes, as if she couldn’t comprehend me.

“It’s my life; I can’t even decide that?”

“You can decide. But that doesn’t mean you have the right to do so. No one has the right to take the life of another—be it themselves or anyone else.”

“… ”

“Every act of murder is not freedom but indulgence, and although it may at times be cruel responsibility to protect, it can never become a right to take away.”

“But you…”

“I’ve never thought that it wasn’t my sin. Maria. It is my responsibility. … So.”

After checking that the bandages were neatly applied, I stood up and delivered my last words to her as she looked up at me.

“Feel free to hate me.”

“… ”

“I will take responsibility for you as your master.”

Completely shattered, Maria.

In her eyes reflected mine, revealing the deep purple hue within.

And that was the end of that day.

– 2 –

“Sister.”

The voice calling out to Maria, who was walking out supported by one of the skeletons summoned by Libertus.

When she raised her head, she saw Sonia, who she thought she would never face again and wouldn’t see after today.

With her hand resting on her chest, Sonia was gazing at her with teary eyes in that still white face.

“Sonia.”

“… Ah, um, it’s just… Maria.”

Sonia’s awkward change of address drew a bitter smile from Maria.

Despite having pushed her away so coldly and cruelly, this girl hesitated to approach, realizing that she was much stronger than her.

“Call me Maria. I don’t think I’m deserving of being called ‘sister.’”

“… I’ll call you sister, just.”

“As you please.”

“… ”

A brief silence fell over the space. The tense stillness, which was almost icy, was soon broken by Maria.

“I think I understand why you’re drawn to that person.”

“Eh?”

“That woman. Libertus.”

Maria recalled a certain monster… no, the image of a person.

A visage seemingly from another world, possessing an unnatural beauty and the most fragile face and aura, making brutal and strong resolutions every moment of her life.

“She’s not a monster.”

“Ah…”

“Yeah. She’s not a monster. Well, to be honest, the whipping is really inexcusable.”

This time, she understood properly.

She realized that she had been delineating Libertus completely differently from other Dungeon Lords she had encountered before and that she had now come to confirm that fact.

Although she couldn’t entirely discard her hatred, it had cooled to the point of no longer serving as fuel due to this incident.

That struggle today was merely a fear of that hatred fading away.

“I’m sorry. Sonia.”

Sonia, too, was seeing the aftermath of hatred much earlier than herself.

Looking back calmly, it had been a tremendously foolish act.

“I’m fine. So…”

“I can’t do like you. I don’t even really know what you’re seeing.”

“Ah…”

“Still. There’s no way I can disturb you anymore. The only way to rise is to stake my life, but that method doesn’t only risk my life.”

She also knew.

That while Libertus was the one who killed her sister, it was also due to Libertus’s mercy that she could live an extra life.

Adventurers captured by Dungeon Lords were effectively considered dead.

Even the fact that Maria remained alive and well to this day would be deemed a miracle by the people of this world.

And that miracle, though frustrating, was a gift from Libertus.

“Well then…”

“I still hate her. Naturally.”

Looking back, it was as if she had already lost everything that makes one human; she had been nurturing her hatred with the remnants of that loss.

Having drawn in the lives of friends and acquaintances, one would not deserve any proper qualifications, yet she couldn’t relinquish what needed to be given up.

“That’s right. I’m like that too.”

“Yeah. You’re much more admirable. … Anyway. Our parents will come. It has been quite a while since we last heard from them. They’ll find us within a year at the latest.”

“They’re great adventurers.”

Maria and Remia’s parents were also adventurers, seasoned elite capable of being deployed at the frontlines alongside the Magical Realm’s guild.

During the time they were unable to contact one another, they’d likely only grow stronger.

When they come looking, Maria’s own fate would be settled one way or another, without her needing to struggle like this.

What life she would have—to live a life without being able to die, or to gain another form of life—was uncertain.

In that regard, the immediate necessity was to survive.

Like an adventurer who eventually learns to bury the deaths of comrades in their heart, she aimed to bury her resentment toward Remia too.

– Clattering.

“Right. Speaking of which.”

And she noticed another thing.

Something about the existence that helped prevent her from making a critical lifelong mistake.

“You’ve been by our side all along.”

Maria’s gaze landed on the skeleton supporting her. A familiar summoning.

It was true that identifying the individuality of skeletons could be challenging, but it was impossible not to recognize one constantly wearing the same equipment standing beside her.

Upon seeing that existence, Mire, Maria smiled.

“Let’s do our best from now on.”

– …

Facing Maria, who smiled at her, Mire simply burned her pupils without any expression.

‘Sister.’

And within her, change was beginning to unfold.

– 3 –

The very next morning after the storm in the dungeon.

Sonia and Maria were summoned together to Libertus’s private room, both wide-eyed and blinking in astonishment.

“So… you want us to go to a party?”

“Learn manners…?”

“Yeah. It’s definitely not enough, but there’s no other option. You’re the only humans available to serve me.”

“Until when…?”

“Three days.”

While glancing at the two women, Libertus nodded her head, as if stating the obvious.

However, the contents coming out of her mouth remained exceedingly absurd, so it was only natural that the two exchanged disapproving glances.

“That’s a bit…”

“Isn’t that going to be hard?”

“It’s fine.”

Calming their incredulity, Libertus turned her gaze aside.

The two women followed her gaze.

Whoosh, thwack!

“With a splendid teacher present, you’ll be well taught.”

“No way…!”

Crack!

There stood Evangeline with a bone switch in hand, glaring down at them with a stern posture and blazing blue eyes.

She had solidified her master’s deep trust by completely instilling the manners she hadn’t trained over the past week into Alexis, and she was bursting with motivation.

However, the two women felt that there was something akin to resentment lurking within that gaze.

In fact, that feeling wasn’t very far from reality.

‘I’m frustrated that I can’t go, and now I have to watch someone else go with him…!’

Evangeline was in a situation where she could not participate as the first attendant or as a partner in her lord’s social visitation.

Though it was fine that Xue, a fairly trustworthy individual, accompanied as a partner, the problem lay with the lack of suitable maids befitting her master’s standing.

‘If I don’t perfect these clumsy ones, then I’ll be in trouble.’

Fortunately, it was for work, so if it were a genuine debutante ball, such annoyance would not have ended here.

“Given the circumstances, learn well and help me out, both of you.”

Whether she knew Evangeline’s ominous aura or not, Libertus spoke maintaining her calm gaze.

However, paradoxically, neither of the two saw that gaze as anything but frightening in that moment.