At dawn, a cold mist settled thickly in the mountains.
Dambi woke up and looked around.
The campfire had long since gone out, and Rills was nowhere to be seen.
He must have gone out to scout the surroundings.
Then his gaze fell upon Riche, who was beside him.
Riche seemed to be in a deep sleep, completely unaware of the world around her.
“Gguurrr?”
The Stew Slime in Riche’s arms stirred and cried out softly at Dambi’s gaze.
Then, Dambi’s sensitive nose detected a faint smell of blood.
“There’s a smell of blood somewhere.”
Dambi’s eyes fixed on the Stew Slime again as he searched for the source of the smell.
Upon closer inspection, the slime was holding something in its mouth and chewing it.
“Gguur. Gguurrr.”
The Stew Slime gobbled down a field mouse and chewed it with satisfaction.
It seemed the source of the blood smell was indeed the field mouse.
“It’s strange, though.”
He had only dropped a drop of blood into the stew.
Even with just one drop, it had transformed into a living, moving slime.
At first, he thought it was just a crazy member of its own kind, but Riche’s ability seemed truly unique and powerful.
‘As Rills said, it would be best to take her to Master’s dungeon.’
He thought that with such an ability, she would surely be of great help to Master.
As he was thinking this, Rills, who had left, returned.
“There were no special traces around. If we leave now, we should be able to see Celia today.”
In fact, their original destination was the Royal Capital.
Riche had planned to accompany them to the Royal Capital and then take on adventurer quests again. However, after witnessing Riche’s abilities, they decided it would be better to head to the dungeon where Celia was.
Moreover, Riche was already an outcast, abandoned by her group. Even if she rejoined them, she didn’t know how long she would last, and in the worst-case scenario, she could die.
Even now, the Church would still be searching for vampires.
‘If they catch me, I’ll really die.’
Although they had only met not long ago, he didn’t want to see his own kind die.
Rather than letting her die, it would be better for her to live a new life in the dungeon.
“Unfortunately, it will be a while before the Shadows can reach us. It would be best to explain the situation regarding Riche directly to Celia when we arrive.”
The number of Shadows controlled by Celia was originally small.
Therefore, if the timing wasn’t right like now, there was no way to contact them through the Shadows.
“Then let’s leave right away. If we delay too much, we might attract unnecessary attention.”
Just like what happened at the inn a few days ago.
Of course, even if it turned out that way, it would be easy to resolve, but he didn’t want to create such a situation in the first place.
Just then, Riche also stretched and woke up.
“What a refreshing sleep!”
“Gguurrr?”
As her master woke up, the Stew Slime spat out the mouse it was holding and quickly climbed onto Riche’s shoulder.
Seeing this, Dambi and Rills exchanged glances.
It was an unspoken agreement to naturally take Riche to the dungeon.
Thus, the group of three, with the Stew Slime joining them, had now become four.
They quickly packed their belongings and began to walk along the quiet forest path.
* * *
“This is amazing. Nobles are truly different.”
Celia looked up from sorting documents and smiled.
The man standing before her nodded with a confident expression.
“You flatter me. Our Rosenberg family has always had a knack for politics and diplomacy, but we still have much to learn in front of the Chief Administrator.”
His words carried both confidence and humility.
The man who received praise from Celia was Kazel von Rosenberg, a young baron of the Sail Kingdom.
He was one of the nobles arrested for sympathizing with the Aristocrats.
However, he never despaired during his imprisonment. Instead, he was looking for new opportunities.
He endured painful times through harsh torture. But finally, here in the dungeon, he gained a realization.
‘The era of humans is about to end.’
Until now, he had thought that monsters were disorganized and less intelligent than humans.
But after coming here, he realized how wrong that thinking was.
‘I can’t believe such a systematic dungeon exists.’
Moreover, Kazel was a sharp-witted man.
‘The Royal family is definitely connected to this place.’
Otherwise, arrested nobles wouldn’t all be accommodated in the dungeon.
Synthesizing these circumstances, Kazel saw immense potential.
‘The one who made Princess Irena the Queen must be the Chief Administrator.’
Kazel’s gaze turned to Celia, who was smiling.
A being with incredible beauty.
And simultaneously, a powerful figure within the dungeon.
There must be the Chief Administrator behind the sudden change in Irena, who had no power.
Given all these circumstances, Kazel could not help but admire the Chief Administrator’s intelligence and meticulous planning.
‘Perhaps…’
They might even rule the entire El Dorado Continent in the future.
This thought suddenly crossed his mind.
If he sided with them, wouldn’t he eventually see his own day of glory?
That glory would be at a much higher level than his current status as a mere baron.
Thinking so, he felt a thrill.
‘The choice I make now will determine my future. Siding with them is undoubtedly a dangerous gamble, but the rewards are also great.’
If the gamble failed, he would be branded a heretic by the Church.
But if he succeeded, it would be an opportunity to gain an advantage over others in a new order.
Kazel von Rosenberg decided to abandon his status as a baron of the Sail Kingdom. Instead, he resolved to side with the monsters.
A perfect opportunity to put this decision into action soon arrived.
– Special Recruitment! Nobles needed for secretarial roles. Reward: slight allowance and exemption from heavy labor. However, the workload is extremely high.
As soon as Kazel saw the recruitment notice, he exclaimed.
‘Yes, this is it!’
Kazel applied for the role without hesitation.
He didn’t care if the nobles around him pointed fingers, calling him someone who knew no honor.
Ultimately, his choice allowed him to showcase his abilities here to his heart’s content.
Most importantly, Celia’s gaze towards him changed.
“There’s no need to be so humble. To achieve this much in such a short time is surprising. If Kazel continues to assist me, the efficiency of dungeon operations will greatly increase.”
Celia was greatly impressed by Kazel’s work efficiency.
Furthermore, she liked that Kazel did not fear her, a monster, at all.
“That’s overwhelmingly generous praise. If you give me a chance, I will continue to serve you diligently, Chief Administrator!”
“Very well. Then from now on, I appoint Kazel as the Head Butler of the dungeon.”
“This is an honor!”
Kazel bowed his head and replied with vigor.
Although the demotion from baron to butler might seem humiliating at first glance, Kazel paid it no mind.
Here, nobility was just a hollow status.
Since he believed it held no meaning, he thought siding with the strong was the wisest choice in the current situation.
‘It’s better to be the tail of a dragon than the head of a snake.’
Thus, Kazel von Rosenberg willingly decided to become the Head Butler of the dungeon.
At that moment, a shout leaked from somewhere in the dungeon, tickling Kazel’s ears.
It was the voices of his fellow nobles.
Unlike Kazel, who participated in Celia’s special recruitment, they were still stubbornly refusing the heavy labor.
At their cries, Kazel’s eyes turned cold.
“It’s fine. They are no longer my concern.”
He clearly drew a line, stating they were no longer his concern.
He had staked the rest of his life on the dungeon and monsters.
He knew well that sympathizing with them simply because they were fellow humans would be endless, so Kazel clearly chose his path.
He thought only of the future.
“Well then, shall we discuss this in more detail?”
Was his action the right choice?
Celia nodded at Kazel’s actions.
Paradoxically, the darker the dungeon, the brighter the future laid out before him.
Even if that future was stained with blood, it didn’t matter.
* * *
The first level, sector four of the dungeon.
People were working, covered in mud and sweating profusely.
The age range was diverse, from middle-aged men to elderly people with white hair.
They were all nobles of the Sail Kingdom.
Although they had never done manual labor in their lives, they were digging the land near the lake to expand it, as per Celia’s orders.
It was work so pathetic to be called labor, something nobles could never have imagined.
“Damn it, why do I have to do this kind of work!”
One noble, unable to bear it any longer, threw down his shovel and expressed his dissatisfaction.
The surrounding nobles also stopped working, creating a sympathetic atmosphere.
“We have dedicated ourselves to the Sail Kingdom for generations! Such lowly labor tarnishes our honor!”
“Indeed! We cannot overlook such insulting treatment. We will definitely make them pay!”
They even spat at and insulted the adventurers among them.
“To entrust work that plebeians do to nobles like us, what an absurd thing this is!”
Even though they had been arrested by the kingdom, they were born nobles by birth.
They were angry that instead of receiving the treatment befitting their status, they were being made to do such menial jobs.
The nobles, filled with anger, raised their voices in protest one after another.
There were no nobles diligently working here anymore.
“That Kazel is just a brat who doesn’t know noble dignity. A bastard who betrayed humanity just to fill his own pockets!”
Furthermore, malicious words poured out about Baron Kazel, who had betrayed humanity and sided with monsters.
His actions were an unacceptable betrayal and insult in noble society.
“Regardless, we have no reason to be treated like this! We must refuse to work immediately and assert our rights! They wouldn’t dare do anything to us!”
With that, they completely stopped working after complaining extensively.
Just then, an ominous aura was felt.
“…”
As if by agreement, everyone fell silent.
The terrifying being who managed and supervised them had revealed himself.
It was a Death Knight, armed with obsidian armor, a sharp sword, and a shield of unknown design.
His appearance alone was enough to instill fear.
The Death Knight didn’t prolong the situation.
Having received a certain level of authority from Chief Administrator Celia, he felt no need to persuade them clumsily.
He simply acted.
*Thud-*
The Death Knight’s sword flashed.
The sword pierced the heart of the noble who had first instigated the rebellion.
“Gak…!”
Those around them screamed and tried to flee, but they were blocked by Skeleton Knights.
Although the situation was sudden, the noble whose heart was pierced began to rise again.
“Uuaargh!”
It was the Death Knight’s skill, ‘Shadow of Death.’
It was a skill that resurrected those who died by his sword as Ghouls.
Their appearance in life was gone.
Only the Ghoul, a loyal worker for the dungeon, remained in their place.
“Uooargh…”
Seeing that, the remaining nobles trembled and picked up their shovels again.
Witnessing the horrific end of their Ghoul comrade, no one dared to complain.
Rebellion here meant death.
Although they were once nobles who had nothing to envy in the world, they had now completely fallen into the status of dungeon slaves.
That was the chosen path to survive in this dungeon.
A tragic but inevitable choice.
As the situation settled, the Death Knight nodded with apparent satisfaction.
Then, as he continued his supervision, he spotted the approaching figures in sector four.
They were Dambi and his party.
They were the ones Chief Administrator Celia had been paying attention to recently.
They operated mainly outside the dungeon.
Therefore, their visit to the dungeon now meant they had business to attend to.
Besides Dambi and Rills, there were also newcomers he hadn’t seen before.
“Gguurrr.”
One being and the bizarre slime whimpering in its arms, looking at him.
“Uooarrgh…”
As the slime cried out, the Ghoul also began to wail in unison.
The Death Knight had a strong premonition that the dungeon would gain more workers, though he didn’t know why.
