Clip, clop. The elegant sound of heels echoed.
Roseha’s smiling face was playfully mismatched with the atmosphere.
Watching her made my anxious heart melt away like snow.
If I had to choose the most reliable ally in this situation, it would undoubtedly be Roseha.
When the footsteps stopped, Roseha stood before me.
Before she could open her mouth, Drabule and Carleon bowed.
“We meet the esteemed one.”
A sense of relief washed over me, leaving me a bit dazed.
I had heard that the other Seven Lairs only attended roundtable meetings.
Roseha licked her lips with a mischievous smile, true to form.
“You could’ve at least given me a heads-up. I would have come with you.”
Hmmm, Roseha hummed a tune as she scanned the surroundings.
“But what’s going on here? It doesn’t feel like a welcoming atmosphere.”
Unease spread among the Lords like wildfire.
No delusion here; the air grew heavy with the presence of just one individual.
Without anyone prompting, they all bowed respectfully.
Roseha continued to smile as she gazed at Babayaga.
“Hey there, Granny Babayaga.”
“…”
“Granny, are you stiff in the back? Usually, you’re all hunchy.”
Only then did Babayaga bow.
Shame made her shoulders tremble.
“We meet the esteemed lord of the Lairs.”
“You’ve really aged since I last saw you. Take care of yourself. Look at me! I’m over a thousand years older and not a wrinkle in sight.”
In the darkness, countless footsteps rushed toward Roseha.
They seemed to be the Lords of Roseha’s faction.
Based on how they promptly bowed, my guess was spot on.
“We meet the Queen of Eternal Night.”
When Roseha nodded, they straightened up.
The leading Vampire Lord spoke.
“I didn’t realize you were coming. Why didn’t you send word…?”
“Yeah, I wasn’t planning on coming either. I just dropped by to see Barugore. So, how do you explain this situation?”
Roseha’s mischievous smile remained.
But there was somehow a sharp emotion lurking behind it.
“From what I see, it looks like you were all about to bury Barugore. Did I see that right?”
No one dared to speak, and silence enveloped the room.
Silence, soon interpreted as agreement.
Roseha’s smile froze into a cold glare.
“So you lot just stood by, unable to take sides, even though you knew what Barugore and I mean to each other?”
“…I am ashamed.”
“No, it’s okay. You’re seeing me for the first time today. But you shouldn’t do that anymore. Now that I’m here, you should at least mind your manners. Right?”
Before I knew it, the faction’s Lords lined up behind her. That position was my backup, too.
…I felt somehow reassured all of a sudden.
Clap.
Taking a step back, Roseha poked Babayaga’s shoulder.
“I heard the news, Granny. You’ve joined the Eldritch, huh?”
“…”
“So, are we just going to end up blushing at each other? Well, that’s your choice.”
Suddenly, my hand moved involuntarily upwards.
Roseha clasped her hands together, raising them and waving them about.
It was embarrassing, but thankfully, being undead meant my face remained hidden.
“Explain this to me. Who do you think you are to push Barugore around?”
“…”
“Do you even know who I am? Or, before that, do you know who he is?”
In the hushed feast hall, only Roseha’s voice broke the silence.
“You are nothing but pests who can’t touch a Lord. We’re part of the same Lairs. If you touch him, you’ll deal with me. Like this.”
Poke.
Roseha poked my cheek with her finger.
I momentarily lost my mind at her wildly inappropriate behavior.
“Hehehe.”
“…Stop.”
“Yeah, darling.”
I didn’t show it, but honestly, I was incredibly grateful.
If it weren’t for Roseha, I would’ve been in Babayaga’s shoes right now.
“Granny, are you just going to stay mute like that?”
“…”
“I wouldn’t care if I killed all of you here. Don’t you all know? I always do whatever I want.”
“Th-that would anger Calandas!”
“So what?”
Roseha grabbed Babayaga’s seaweed-like hair.
“It’s none of my business how that skeleton comes out. If I want to kill everyone, then I will.”
“…”
“Oh, how pitiful. Did you think I’d be afraid of being threatened? I can’t stand those kinds of looks. What should I do? Should I pluck your eyes out?”
“I absolutely hate those stares. What should I do? Should I just gouge out their eyeballs?”
“In a holy council, how could…?”
“I’m the holiest one here. Forgot? The Seven Lairs are the origins of the unassailable sanctity. No law can bind me.”
An intangible energy began to rise around Roseha.
As if influenced by that, Babayaga’s every movement came to a complete halt.
Even the minuscule movements accompanying his breaths were completely frozen. His trembling fingertips fully ceased to shiver.
Though invisible, the intangible energy had ensnared Babayaga’s body.
At first, I thought she was just saying it in anger, about gouging out eyeballs.
But then, Roseha’s fingertips genuinely moved towards Babayaga’s eyes.
“R-Rose?”
“I feel like doing this will calm my anger. I won’t kill you. I’ll leave one eye intact.”
“A-Ah… Aaaaah─!”
Her slender fingertips pierced through the retina, persistently poking at the pupil.
Dark red blood splattered everywhere. Squish, squish. The screams and repulsive sounds overlapped, delivering a wave of discomfort.
The lords, myself included, could only watch in shock, unable to utter a single word.
Splat!
With a definitive motion, Roseha pulled out the optic nerve and veins straight from Babayaga’s eyes.
Roseha carelessly tossed the eyeball aside.
“Ugh, disgusting.”
Casually reaching out, Drabule handed her a handkerchief.
The eyeball was bouncing on the ground like a bouncy ball.
Once I remembered it was a real eyeball, that thought vanished in an instant.
Roseha waved her hand.
With that, the intangible restraint loosened, and Babayaga crumpled to the ground.
Despite trying to stop it with one hand, dark red blood continued to flow endlessly.
Even witnessing it firsthand, I couldn’t believe it.
What in the world am I going to do about this aftermath?
Was this how Charlotte felt when I killed Gergor? The refreshing feeling amid the dread of consequences.
“Ah, aaaaaah…!”
“Looks like you’ve gone one-eyed, old hag. Want me to take out another? You could barely see anyway, right? That’s why you messed with my Barugore!”
“Gah… S-Sorry….”
Creeeek─
As I saw the stone door open, an inexplicable feeling of dread washed over me.
And my ominous premonition was never wrong.
– Behold, the master of the rotting cave where the fifth-ranking death of the Seven Lairs breeds! Lich King Calandas Bon Elderich has arrived─!”
A chilling death aura ominously loomed.
The lesser lords trembled with pale faces.
Charlotte and Balutak changed expressions and showed sturdy resistance to the aura. They were strong enough to handle it.
In the distance, faint red lights glimmered from the darkness.
Above it, light red numbers floated.
[Lv. 93]
*
Estizel felt that the reality unfolding before her was nothing but fiction.
Didn’t she only come to attend the roundtable meeting?
Why are there three bosses from the Seven Lairs, starting with Roseha and now Calandas, showing up?
The timing was spiraling out of control, amplifying her fear.
But when she thought about it…
‘Is this all my fault!?’
The root of all this conflict lay in her, ranked 72nd, Estizel herself.
It all started when Babayaga grabbed her and confronted Barugore.
Then Roseha popped up and plucked out Babayaga’s eyeball, leading to Calandas’s appearance now.
Rank 8 Babayaga.
Rank 7 Barugore.
Rank 6 Valentia Roseha.
Rank 5 Calandas Bon Elderich.
Normally, Estizel should have been observing from a distance.
Ranked 72nd out of 72 dungeons, how could she possibly insert herself among the lords of the Seven Lairs?
Yet, she found herself positioned right in front of the lords of the Lairs.
It felt like being at the center of a typhoon; the sense of crisis made her dizzy.
Adding to that, the overwhelming pressure radiating from Roseha and Calandas’s death aura swept through her.
As a result, Estizel found it hard to even move a fingertip. An overwhelming sense of dread constricted her mind and body.
‘I want to go home…!’
She felt like she might faint if she couldn’t endure this.
Perhaps fainting right here would be better….
Estizel wanted to escape this situation, even if just for a moment.
*
Sigh─
The breath of the dead escaped her lips, swirling like fog across the ground.
Soon, Calandas, who had arrived before us, gathered his death aura.
Just when it seemed like they were finally allowed to breathe, the lower-ranked Lords collectively gasped for air.
Calandas’s first gaze locked onto Roseha.
“Long time no see, queen of whores.”
“Yeah, it’s been a while, king of corpses.”
Since his arrival, Roseha’s signature eye smile had vanished without a trace.
One could guess they were rivals just from their exchange of glances.
Naturally, Calandas’s gaze shifted towards me.
More precisely, to my holy sword. He was definitely wary of it.
“I never expected to meet you like this. What a lamentable turn of events. I thought we would become quite good friends.”
“Too bad.”
“Oh, look. The human subordinate came along as well.”
Charlotte merely nodded without a word.
Setting aside any lingering resentment, the subordinate of The Seven Lairs had no reason to bow to the hostile Lair.
“Barugore! I’ve heard about you. You killed Balmunk and then Wilhelm, right?”
“Yeah, so?”
“Thanks to you, half of mankind’s ambitions have been diminished. I extend my congratulations without reservation.”
I responded only with my gaze.
Calandas chuckled at that.
“Don’t be too wary. We’re heading to the underground round table. I don’t want to waste my time here. However…”
Babayaga, with his eyes squeezed shut, bowed his head.
Calandas’s gaze lingered on him for a moment.
“I can’t just overlook that.”
“I did that, though?”
Roseha smirked.
“What of it?”
“Then you should repay the favor.”
─!
A sound of splitting air echoed.
“Ughhh!”
A scream erupted from the bent-over vampire’s mouth.
He was none other than a Lord belonging to Roseha’s faction.
Just like Babayaga, he groaned while clutching his eyes.
And, much like Roseha, Calandas laughed.
“Now that looks better.”
“…You.”
“What? I just returned the favor.”
“How about I poke your eyes out too?”
“Let’s settle the scores at the round table. That would show respect to the other Lairs.”
Calandas passed through the crowd as if he’d seen enough.
I wished he’d just leave, but nothing ever ends easily.
“However, a question arises. Don’t you think there’s too much to lose by pulling Barugore into the Red Moon faction?”
The Red Moon faction was, in terms of narrative, Roseha’s faction.
Suddenly associating me with a faction…
At this point, I was effectively pulled in, but it wasn’t confirmed.
Whether I’d be included in her faction was entirely her decision.
Perhaps Calandas was asking to get a definitive answer.
“I personally took the life of the 21st Lord just yesterday. Plus, the subordinate is a human, and there’s a half-human half-beast hiding behind.”
At those words, Roseha glanced at Estizel, who was hiding behind me.
Her expression was not reassuring.
“Do you still not get it? The 7th ranked Barugore supports humans. What would the other Lairs think if such subversive elements joined the faction?”
Was he trying to incite division instead of seeking a definitive answer?
Just moments ago, this guy had congratulated me for killing two heroes, and now he was trying to sow discord between me and Roseha.
No matter how much the 72 Lords opposed humans, Roseha wouldn’t abandon me.
I had just taken down two heroes, and Roseha owed me a significant debt.
Just looking at her level, a deep pink, there was no way she could be swayed by some trivial words.
“I think you’re mistaken; she’s not a member of my faction.”
Roseha slowly released my hand.
I couldn’t believe the sensation of my empty hand.
I never expected her to draw a line like this in front of so many Lords.
Just as I was about to ask if that was true, Roseha suddenly hugged me, leaving me speechless.
“Of course I’m helping because he’s my husband! What? Do you have a problem with that?”
…What did she just say?
A silence sank in, leaving everyone speechless.
Except for Roseha, who was the only one laughing out loud.
“He’s my husband, so who else would defend him but me?”
“…That’s absurd.”
Calandas, the ever composed, now looked dazed.
To be honest, I was the most shocked.
I never thought she would make such a shocking declaration in front of all these Lords.
“Believe it or not. You claimed we’re going to the underground round table, right? If you’ve got nothing else to do, you can leave now.”
“Let’s continue our conversation at the round table. Barugore, my dear friend. It’s not too late yet.”
With those words, Calandas swaggered away.
What a lunatic; he just beat the hell out of me and is trying to woo me back.
What’s going on here?
At this point, it was clear that there was definitely something wrong with his head.
Only after Calandas disappeared underground did the sounds of breathing blend together.
With that, the situation settled down, and Drabule helped the groaning Vampire Lord.
“How can two skeletons be so different?”
Meanwhile, everyone around kept glancing back and forth between me and Roseha. I couldn’t help but be aware of the strange atmosphere.
“Roseha, when did I become your husband?”
“Huh? We made a marriage pact, didn’t we? Or was that not it?”
“I have no such memory.”
“Hehe. You’re right. We’re not quite at that level yet.”
The corners of Roseha’s eyes curved like a crescent moon.
“Not yet, that is.”
“….”
A chill ran down my spine. The psychological pressure was vague, like a mouse in front of a cat.
Looking around discreetly, it seemed the misunderstanding had cleared up.
“But hey, what’s with this one?”
Roseha’s fingertip poked Estizel’s forehead. Estizel was trembling all over like a mouse in front of a lion.
“You seem to be supporting her. Is that right?”
“She’s the 72nd ranked Lord that I’ve been keeping an eye on.”
“Hmm, I think an explanation is in order?”
“She’s a Lord with a lot of potential. Even if her rank is low now, I believe there will be a big change soon.”
It was the truth without a single lie.
Of course, it was Roseha’s choice to believe me or not.
At that moment, Roseha whispered in my ear.
“By the way, do you like humans?”
“….”
Of course I did.
My physical body might be different, but my heart was human.
Fortunately, Roseha was the complete opposite of Calandas in many ways. One of those ways was that she not only didn’t hate humans, but actually supported them.
As a succubus, she fed on human desires, so if humanity disappeared from the world, succubi would soon go extinct too.
In short, Roseha had no personal feelings for defending humans. It was merely for the sake of her kind’s survival.
“I don’t hate them.”
It was ambiguous, but it was the truth.
Roseha’s laughter echoed tantalizingly in my ears.
“Then I must have a chance, right? I look like a human, after all?”
“…?”
Was that what she meant by the question?
“I’m always open. Whenever you feel like it, you know?”
Roseha sensually traced her fingers along my neck.
There were at least a hundred eyes on us, but she wasn’t fazed at all.
If I pushed away the one who helped me, it would only lead to an awkward situation, so I stayed still.
Soon enough, Roseha’s gaze shifted to Charlotte.
“So, you’re that human lieutenant?”
“I’m honored to meet the Queen of Night.”
“Hmm, you’re cute, but you’re really shy, huh? A girl should be more bold. With such a stiff expression, you’ll be single forever.”
“….”
“On the side, is that an insect?”
“Ki-rik. Nice to meet you. I’m Balutak, the right hand of the Great Chief. Is the Queen the female of the Great Chief?”
What the hell did he just say?
He just called a Lord from the Seven Lairs a ‘female.’
That was blasphemous enough to lose his head on the spot.
In the corner of my eye, I caught Carleon placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.
With just a nod from Roseha, Balutak wouldn’t dare speak again.
“Hahaha! Insect, I like you.”
Unexpectedly, laughter erupted.
Roseha wiped the tears from her eyes, filled with laughter, and then wrapped an arm around my waist.
“That’s right. I’m this man’s female.”
“Ki-rik. They make a perfect pair. I support you.”
“You have a good eye for an insect! Thank you. I’ll be taking down your Great Chief soon, so remember that.”
“Ki-rik? What do you mean by ‘taking down’?”
“I mean eating him. In a different way.”
The back-and-forth was strange, but I felt relieved.
If it was anyone other than Roseha, Balutak would have been dead by now.
Roseha seemed completely unconcerned about the eyes on us or maintaining appearances, and her demeanor shifted based on her mood and interests.
In a way, Balutak’s comment was humorous enough to keep him alive.
If it hadn’t been for that, Balutak’s head would have been rolling on the ground by now.
“Ki-rik. Balutak, I just learned a new word. I’ll use it on Buraltak.”
“…Huh? Bur, what?”
“Buraltak. My female.”
Oh damn. Someone shut that guy’s mouth.
At that moment, Roseha’s face went blank.
It was the first expression I’d ever seen on her that broke her usual smile.
“Hahaha…. You’re a bit… more than I expected.”
“Ki-rik?”
I really felt embarrassed.
Who the hell brought that bug here?
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