It's Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

When I first heard the name Solemio, what I imagined was a small fortress rising on a vast land with a rural farm somewhere.

Wasn’t it the title of one of the famous Italian songs on Earth?

Seeing it in reality, it was a large city quite different from that image.

If asked whether it’s a bustling city, I would definitely say no, but if asked whether this is the average for medieval big cities, I could certainly answer… ‘it’s big and solid’.

“That’s because this place is both a city and a fortress, Miss mage.”

“A fortress?”

“Yes. In the past, this area was full of dungeons, so they had to make it a border line without being able to subjugate them.”

Gyeonghan appropriately answered my question.

Solemio’s location is on the kingdom’s border line, facing a large river to the southeast and surrounded by mountainous regions like a folding screen to the southwest.

200 years ago, when dungeons first started appearing, they say they didn’t know how to handle dungeons appearing on the continent.

Not knowing the relationship between dungeon cores and lords, they often caused dungeons to go berserk, and there were even places that lost their function as a nation due to the overflow of such rampaging dungeons.

In the case of this kingdom, it wasn’t that bad, but they couldn’t handle numerous dungeons at once, so they used this Solemio castle as it was for the border with the dungeons.

After the war with the dungeons ended, relations with the country across the river worsened, so they maintained the fortress to use it as a frontline.

However, as the roads weren’t well-maintained and it wasn’t in a suitable location for trade, it seems to have become a frontier fortress city as it was.

“I see. Thank you for the detailed explanation.”

“Oh my. If you’re curious about anything, just ask!”

Indeed, he seems to have heard a lot of things, responding immediately to various curiosities like a walking encyclopedia, which is extremely convenient.

Just answering my questions so far has been very helpful in grasping the current situation of this world, so if this person were to be in a life-threatening situation without attacking my dungeon, I might save him once.

Of course, he only knows what he knows, and doesn’t know what he doesn’t, so detailed investigation is necessary.

“Since it’s evening now, it would be better for Sonia and Miss Angelita to head to the inn first. I’ll go to the mage guild first…”

“Wouldn’t it be better to go together? Without Sonia, the conversation won’t progress, right?”

“That’s true, but…”

Maria, who heard my words, stretched her voice and glanced at Sonia. I also followed her gaze to look at Sonia.

Sonia’s appearance had become even more haggard than before. More than before meeting Maria.

At the same time, her dependence on me had strengthened, to the point where she couldn’t even sleep without me, so we had to take turns keeping watch during the journey.

It was fortunate that it was only a few days; if it had been longer, the three adventurers who were fine would have had a really hard time.

I was physically comfortable, but it was still uncomfortable due to the remnants of common sense from when I was human.

From the start, it was a hardship to deliberately lie down for a long time even though a Dungeon Lord’s body doesn’t need much sleep.

“Sonia.”

“…Yes, Teacher…?”

Sonia, who hadn’t been paying attention to the conversation until now, only raised her head when she heard my call.

Whether finding Sonia’s appearance pitiful or strange, Maria was making an odd expression across from us.

Meeting her eyes and subtly signaling her to compose her expression, I whispered softly into Sonia’s ear.

“Now we can go find your friends. We just need to go to the mage guild and ask for help.”

“Ah…!”

What happened next was like a scene where some kind of magic was cast, making a withered flower suddenly regain health and bloom.

In an instant, Sonia’s eyes lit up and her body became energized as she grabbed both my hands and squeezed them.

It was a strength unlike her.

“L-Let’s go…! Teacher!”

“Yes. Let’s go.”

An attitude as if Maria wasn’t even in her mind.

Without pointing out such an attitude, I nodded towards Maria and spoke.

It was a strange situation where I had somehow become her spokesperson, but Maria, knowing that she was relying heavily on me who had treated her after her friend’s death, didn’t seem to be greatly disheartened.

“I’m glad Miss Angelita is here. If not, I don’t know what would have happened to Sonia…”

Maybe she doesn’t have the mental capacity or confidence to care about her, so she might be grateful for the situation where Sonia isn’t depending on her.

She herself must be in a situation where it’s difficult to even realize her sister’s death.

It’s normal for human cognition not to easily accept death or loss unless they confirm the ‘evidence’.

Unless they’re too accustomed to it or have an innate ‘talent’ for it.

“This is the place.”

The appearance of the mage guild that I saw for the first time in this world was quite bizarre.

‘Is there a mirror or something there?’

First of all, the overall shape was a 5-story building in the form of an inverted truncated cone that gradually widened towards the sky, but there was a strangely bright feeling at the top, as if something was there.

It was like a peculiar sensation of a large bald light reflection occurring at the top of the building, like something seen in animations.

Moreover, there was a large eye embedded above the main entrance, probably the emblem of the ‘Eyes Tracing Truth’ guild, with a hand shape tracing the pupil embossed above it, and that eye was actually moving, making it quite grotesque to look at.

‘I wonder if I’m qualified to call this bad taste for demon races?’

Although I quickly averted my gaze as it wasn’t particularly important, it was… a design I didn’t want to visit twice.

-Where are you visiting from?

To make matters worse, even the voice was coming from that eye.

“There’s been a problem with Sonia, an apprentice guild member here, and her companions. We need a mage’s cooperation.”

Clank!

-Please come in!

As soon as Maria said that, the door opened without any other words.

And with an urgent voice, at that.

“Could this be…”

“It seems so, doesn’t it?”

Maria, whose eyes met mine, seemed to be thinking the same thing. That they seem to know something here.

“Sonia!”

Before we could take a few steps through the door, a man came running out from inside.

A man who looked like he had just turned 30, as if he were the embodiment of the stereotypical lab nerd image.

The fact that he almost tripped while running that short distance reinforced that image, but perhaps due to his expression, his appearance didn’t look that pathetic.

It was a face that clearly showed the worry of someone who genuinely cares for a person.

“Senior…”

“Sonia! Thank goodness! You’re alive!”

The man who came running grabbed Sonia’s shoulders, hugged her once, then stepped back and examined her body here and there.

Even from the side, it felt like he was checking thoroughly and quickly, to the extent that it didn’t cross the line of great rudeness.

Then, without paying any attention to us beside her, he pressed her.

“What on earth happened? Why was there no contact all this time… You’re a week late from the schedule! I thought something had happened to you…”

No matter how you look at it, he seems to be someone who cares very much for Sonia. Whether it’s as a man and woman, or as senior and junior, I can’t be sure yet.

But it’s clear that he has feelings for her.

“Uh… uh… Senior…?”

Sonia was just bewildered by the unexpected situation and couldn’t say anything about this situation, so it wasn’t helpful for understanding.

One thing is clear though.

At least the relationship between these two wasn’t one where they could casually hug each other.

“Wait a moment, Sir mage. Sonia is not in very good condition right now. If you press her like that…”

“Ah, and you all are…?”

“I’m Maria Olas, Sonia’s friend and colleague Remia’s older sister.”

“I’m Angelita, Sonia’s guardian.”

“Guar… dian? Ah… W-Well, please come in. This way.”

The nerd who showed such vigor towards Sonia now seems to lose his nerve when dealing with strangers.

Following him inside, I realized one strange thing.

‘There’s no one here.’

A mage guild is ultimately a place where mages gather to research, learn, or directly obtain all kinds of materials necessary for that.

So there are about two reasons why only one mage is visible in this huge place.

Either it’s set up with some kind of space magic so that only one mage receives guests, or…

“I’d like to offer you something to drink, but right now I only have the kind of tea I drink. It’s a bit bitter, is that okay?”

“Water is fine for me.”

“I’d like to try it once.”

“M-Me too…”

The mage nodded and disappeared into the reception room, then quickly reappeared with three cups of tea in his hands.

It was at a speed as if he had prepared boiling water in advance. If it wasn’t prepared in advance, it must be just magic.

“If it’s too bitter, please take this candy.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you.”

The man set down the tea and sat across from us. The tea had a scent that seemed to make people comfortable.

However, while I took one sip of the tea, he still seemed unsettled and restless.

And Maria was the same.

“May I ask your name?”

“Ah, I apologize. I didn’t even introduce myself. I’m Leonis Den, a senior mage affiliated with the guild. Sonia and I are disciples under the same master.”

“Yes, that’s right… Senior Leonis is the eldest disciple, and I’m the youngest…”

‘Lion’, what an ill-fitting name…

The difference between the two was clearly visible at a glance. Leonis Den’s face, though with fine lines, definitely looked to be in his 30s, while Sonia was just entering her 20s.

And Sonia was still unable to hide her surprised emotions. She was tightly holding onto my sleeve and seemed to be subtly wary of her senior.

Somehow the feelings seemed one-sided, could it be that Sonia hadn’t noticed at all?

Regardless of such thoughts from Sonia or me, Maria and Leonis steadily progressed the conversation.

“It seems there’s no one here.”

“Yes. I’m alone right now.”

“Damn it. …I’m sorry. I spoke without thinking.”

A rough word immediately bursting out from Maria.

Leonis’s eyes narrowed upon hearing this. If he was just a thin man until now, he now had a somewhat sharp feeling.

“…So, something did happen.”

“Haa. Is the absence of people in the mage guild due to this ‘expedition’?”

“That shouldn’t be information an outsider could know.”

“There was someone well-informed about rumors.”

“…I see. I thought you knew for certain. It seems you heard it from somewhere. Since it’s not the time to hide, I’ll just tell you. That’s correct.”

Whether it’s a secret but not one the guild values highly, or whether he values Sonia more than that secret. Anyway, Leonis affirms more clearly than expected.

“Our guild is actively supporting that expedition right now. Currently, our master and most of the senior and junior disciples have already left with the advance party.”

“I see, so it was like that.”

“Now, will you tell me? What happened to Sonia?”

“…Hah.”

After briefly meeting Sonia’s eyes to ask for permission, Maria told Leonis about all the circumstances she could know from her position.

The explanation only began after I urged Sonia again to give proper answers. It didn’t take very long, but Leonis, who was listening to the story, seemed to have aged 5 more years in that time.

Perhaps because of this, it didn’t take long to make a decision.

“I’ll go.”

“Senior…? Then what about the guild…”

“We can seal the doors for a while and move, Sonia. Don’t worry about guild matters. We need to find your friends.”

“But… is that okay?”

“Of course. They’re your most precious people. We need to find them a peaceful place quickly.”

“Thank you…”

“Don’t mention it.”

One of the common tragedies in this world.

However, just as Maria feels about Remia’s tragedy as a relative, he too seemed to genuinely feel pain and empathize with what Sonia had gone through.

Putting aside his feelings for Sonia, he was clearly a good person. There are even many people in the world who can’t empathize with their lover’s pain, more than you might think.

Sonia, Maria, Daniel, and Leonis.

They’re all equally good people.

‘How should I handle this.’

And such good people were the prey of a Dungeon Lord who grows by devouring people.

I looked down at Sonia.

“Teacher… You’ll help too, right?”

“Of course, Sonia. Who else would help if not me?”

She was finally smiling with relief.

While savoring my hand stroking her head.