It's Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

* * *

“Since there’s nothing you absolutely must do in the dungeon while I’m gone, focus on regaining your health.”

“…I understand.”

Sonia bowed her head deeply, while Mire and the soldiers lined up saluting beside her. Among them, I could see Jacob who hadn’t been ‘disposed of’ yet, and Maria glaring at me as if she wanted to kill me.

I planned to leave them and some troops to guard the dungeon.

I couldn’t take Sonia, whose power to protect herself was sealed, on the journey to the human world, nor could I leave without anyone to guard and watch over her and the others.

Although Mire probably feels an inexplicable sense of familiarity towards Sonia that even she doesn’t know the exact reason for, that won’t be enough to make her violate my orders, so it’s fine.

As I said, the contract between a necromancer and their summons isn’t so easily broken.

“Once you recover your body, you’ll be able to do anything. Just be patient until then.”

“…Yes.”

Though unresolved hatred still flickered in her eyes, Sonia composed herself politely. I patted her arm a few times to encourage her, as she still seemed uncertain in her thoughts.

In the past, her shoulder would have been just at my height.

Now her height, having become healthier, was growing beyond the level that used to be similar to my previous self.

…Well, whatever.

They say humans grow until 25, and Sonia is just in her early 20s now.

I’m a being whose form is fixed from birth.

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

-Tack!

“I pray for your safe journey.”

And so, I departed from the dungeon.

* * *

“Did you use that body to do this?”

“Yes. The identity of an information guild member is very useful.”

Talhan was quite capable even as an undead.

Considering the travel time, he managed to forge and create a small guild for supply support from Solemio to Copzerin in just three days at most.

『Name – Talhan (Natalie)』

『Attributes – Health 19(22) Technique 24(27) Durability 15(18) Magic Power 32(16) Resistance 13(24)』

『Characteristics – Specialization: Dagger, Trace Finding, Information Analysis (Deactivated)』

The body Talhan was wearing now looked like a typical ‘assassin’ class woman, no matter how you looked at it.

Dark reddish-brown hair close to black tied in a ponytail under the hood and deep blue eyes below that.

I don’t know why it’s a woman’s body again…

“It’s easier to approach with a female body after all. The time when male adventurers are most off guard with a woman is… well, when they’re doing that act.”

“Is that so?”

“You seemed to be looking at me strangely…”

He’s still quick-witted. At this rate, it wouldn’t be strange if ‘Quick Wit’ was added as a characteristic.

The problem is that his behavior is bad in the meantime.

“I wasn’t. Your determination is admirable. I’m counting on you in the future too.”

“…Yes, Master. During the journey, I’ll call you Miss.”

“Do so.”

When I turned my gaze from the coachman’s seat to look inside the carriage, I saw several sleeping adventurers there.

They were all apprentice-level adventurers who had been hypnotized in advance with the ‘setting’ that this small merchant group had hired them to transport supplies.

My ability level was still incomplete for casting on formal-level adventurers.

‘Still, they sleep well even with light hypnosis.’

For now, I put them to sleep with a simple suggestion to have a conversation, and they’ll wake up naturally without feeling anything strange.

Thanks to this, the only ones with formal or higher abilities here were me, Talhan, and Xue.

Of course, the soldiers hidden in my shadow were like that too.

“Bear with it even if it’s stuffy.”

“Okay…”

-Tack.

The answers came simultaneously from inside and outside my shadow.

The climate of the region was close to tropical. Xue, wearing a thick hood, could get tired from the heat, and the soldiers waiting in the shadow might feel bored since they have intelligence.

It couldn’t be helped.

Xue was too pretty, and my soldiers were too conspicuous.

“It’s okay. I’m with Lady.”

-Clatter clatter.

“…Thank you.”

As if they had noticed my mood, Xue and my soldiers sent more reassuring words and intentions.

I feel like I’ve met really good subordinates compared to my abilities.

“So. What kind of place is that city? Talhan.”

“The city of ‘Copzerin’. The nickname used among officials and court nobles is Southern Capital.”

According to Talhan, this city named Copzerin seems to be one of the most important cities in the Kingdom of Heisen, one of the countries to which the land my dungeon occupies belongs.

‘Southern Capital’ is truly a nickname that intuitively conveys its importance.

“So they’re making such a fuss because a Dungeon Lord was discovered next to such an important city.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Of course, although Copzerin is an important city, they wouldn’t gather reinforcements from the whole city just because a single Dungeon Lord was discovered.

Though the Lord’s rank is said to be ‘high’, conversely speaking, it’s just high rank.

There are at least three ranks above that in this world.

“The bigger problem was the location where that Lord settled.”

“A gorge with a road connecting to the capital… It’s enough to make the humans of a country that uses trade as its main means go into convulsions.”

A gorge passing between two small, rugged mountains; the shortest route connecting Copzerin, the southern capital, and Hairashi, the kingdom’s capital.

A vampire’s dungeon has settled in this place called the ‘Golden Road’ in the Kingdom of Heisen, considered the artery of logistics connecting the north and west of the Eastern Continent.

Moreover, it’s one of the types that can rapidly increase its power over time, the zombie series, so it’s understandable that the kingdom’s high-ranking officials would react greatly.

“It seems they were well hidden until now.”

“That’s why they’re viewing it even more seriously, it seems.”

I see.

If handled poorly, it could mean that a single Dungeon Lord could entirely control Heisen’s national projects.

Even if I were the king of the country, it would be a situation where I couldn’t possibly maintain composure.

The dungeon’s movements might be restricted afterwards.

-Lady.

As I was thinking this, the contact I had been waiting for arrived.

“Good afternoon, Daniel.”

-Ah, yes. Though I’m on my way to battle.

“I see.”

The news that the adventurer group including Daniel, and the dungeon subjugation army of Copzerin accompanying that adventurer group, had departed.

At this rate, we wouldn’t even need to stop by the city; we could just join them by delivering supplies directly to that subjugation army.

Since we’ve actually prepared real supplies, we won’t be suspected, and we won’t need to worry about people’s eyes while staying in the city.

It’s even more fortunate since our group is full of beauties, so we’re bound to attract attention.

-I contacted you to confirm instructions.

“You can fight actively. Just take care of your body.”

-…Is that alright? The opponent is also a Dungeon Lord, and Lady, you…

“All Dungeon Lords are enemies to each other, Daniel.”

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason.

As Daniel worries or feels fear, I don’t want the kingdom’s army and the Dungeon Lord’s army to suffer great sacrifices against each other. If I had to say, I hope the kingdom’s army wins with moderate sacrifices.

And according to the forces in Daniel’s report, there was no need to worry much about that.

“If the forces gathered by the kingdom are at the level you mentioned, that Dungeon Lord won’t be easily defeated even if they use all their power.”

-Is that really so? There are several elite-level adventurers, and even some kingdom knights…

“How much help can the army of a country steeped in peace be? The adventurers will probably play a big role.”

A high-rank Dungeon Lord was equal to elite-level adventurers or summons in terms of simple stats. Even so, in this state, the dungeon side would be at a disadvantage even if there were a few more elite demons.

It’s a battle between one high-rank dungeon and an army with half the kingdom’s emergency forces gathered.

However, high-rank Dungeon Lords had one advantage that lower-rank Dungeon Lords didn’t have.

“That place is a vampire’s home ground. Surely the inside of the dungeon and the surrounding area will have become an environment that’s not easy for humans to operate in.”

The advantage of ‘Dungeon Magicalization’.

This is literally a characteristic of the dungeon itself, making the inside of the dungeon an optimized space for the Dungeon Lord.

Of course, since it’s still just high rank, its strength or area won’t be that strong or wide, but since the Lord has already gone berserk, that area would have spread outside, and weak humans will have difficulty even approaching the dungeon.

Even if they succeed in approaching the dungeon, ordinary soldiers will have to deal with demons rushing out from the dungeon rather than even entering.

“Moreover, that dungeon is in a berserk state. You shouldn’t think about the danger of demons as you would for an ordinary high rank.”

-To what extent should I consider it?

The Dungeon Lord there would be recklessly pouring magic power while annihilating or subjugating the surrounding wild demons, so the level and aggressiveness of the dungeon’s demons would be incomparable to before.

“At least half a rank up. Since that Lord is high rank and quite mature, there might be one or two elite demons.”

-If those are in a strengthened state… it would certainly be dangerous.

A dungeon with a few elite demons and a Dungeon Lord rampaging at a comparable level. This place could become a battlefield where even I would have difficulty preserving my life if I’m careless.

It would be even more dangerous for Daniel, who is merely a high-rank adventurer.

“You’re likely to be included in the entry force. Make sure to thoroughly check equipment that can withstand the toxicity of the demon realm. Daniel. I don’t want to lose you yet.”

-I understand.

“Still, I believe you won’t die easily to such mad things. Take good care of yourself, thinking of Maria.”

-…Yes. Thank you, Lady.

Of course, facing a Dungeon Lord who has lost rationality and become a beast, and fighting while looking for opportunities among humans where I can fortunately hide my body.

I wasn’t confident either.

“It will be interesting.”

That I won’t be able to achieve my goal.