Baalcherit visited Kanghyeon Lee’s dungeon.
As soon as the alert sounded, I checked the dungeon.
Indeed, Baalcherit was crossing through my dungeon.
Seeing as she was heading towards the dungeon’s center, I figured she might be trying to meet Celia.
I zoomed in on the screen to examine her closely.
“Hmm.”
I was familiar with Baalcherit because she had appeared twice in the gacha.
At the same time, I somehow felt like I had actually encountered her before.
Above all, Baalcherit’s attire caught my eye.
When she first appeared in the gacha, she wore a black dress, but now she was wearing tattered clothes and cradling a strange creature in her arms.
‘What happened?’
Well, that wasn’t important right now.
What I needed to think about was why that Baalcherit had visited my dungeon.
What schemes was Baalcherit, who had refused my offer to become a subordinate officer, plotting?
Surely she wasn’t trying to surrender?
“No, that doesn’t make sense.”
Given that she had rejected my offer, I couldn’t let my guard down.
“I should let Celia know.”
I didn’t know her purpose for visiting, and it wouldn’t be right to act hostile without reason.
I immediately touched the keyboard on the screen and gave Celia an order.
【A guest has arrived, so treat them well.】
***
“This is the office of the person who manages the dungeon.”
Following Dambi’s guidance, Baalcherit arrived at the dungeon’s core.
Specifically, the office where the being managing the dungeon resided.
A moment later, the firmly closed office door creaked open.
“…”
The moment the door opened, Baalcherit felt her breath catch in her throat.
She was overwhelmed by the immense power emanating from within the office, her body unable to move.
At the same time, her curiosity surged about who might be inside.
Baalcherit took a deep breath and clenched her trembling hands.
Considering the grandeur of the dungeon she had seen so far, it was clear that a tremendously powerful being awaited her.
‘Just who on earth is capable of controlling a dungeon like this?’
At first, she had only intended to accept Dambi and Rills’ hospitality and spend a few days comfortably.
However, what she witnessed upon arriving here was anything but ordinary.
Goblins armed with high-quality equipment, and various types of monsters guarded the dungeon.
Most shocking of all was the fact that there were two beings of the same 5-star rank as herself.
Based on the current situation, she couldn’t even begin to guess how powerful the dungeon’s owner might be.
‘Surely this isn’t a trap set to capture me?’
Given this scale, she suspected it might be connected to the Underworld Merchant Guild.
If so, wouldn’t it be best to withdraw immediately?
But Baalcherit shook her head.
Even though she was currently a fugitive, she possessed the high pride of a Vampire Royal.
To flee out of fear of an unknown opponent?
Her pride could not tolerate such a thing.
Still, one ray of hope was that she at least possessed the strength to preserve her life.
No matter how cornered she was, Baalcherit was a Vampire Royal.
Even if the Goblin Lord and Death Knight were of the same rank as her, she was superior in terms of pure combat power.
However, she might have to give up the Stew Slime she held in her arms.
No matter how strong Baalcherit was, she couldn’t gauge the dungeon owner’s power.
If necessary, she planned to use the slime as bait to buy time.
“Gua, guah…”
As if sensing Baalcherit’s feelings, the Stew Slime began to cry sorrowfully.
Just then, Rills gently took her arm and whispered in her ear.
“The Chief Administrator is an infinitely merciful being. However, absolutely do not mention ‘that person’.”
It was true that she was tense about the unknown opponent.
However, Baalcherit dismissed Rills’ advice without much thought.
After all, there was no need for her to approach the situation so humbly.
Baalcherit’s objective was to find the owner of the voice in the first place, not to live here forever.
As long as she could confirm that it wasn’t connected to the Underworld Merchant Guild, there was no need to act so submissively.
Finally, a Skeleton Knight walked out of the now-open office.
“Clack!”
He signaled Rills and Dambi to step back.
“Clack, clack.”
Then, he bowed respectfully towards Baalcherit.
It meant that only Baalcherit could enter.
“Then I’ll see you later.”
“If fate allows, we shall meet again.”
Rills and Dambi briefly encouraged Baalcherit and left the spot.
Baalcherit also gave a slight nod and strode into the office.
“!”
And in that moment, her breath was taken away by the scene that unfolded before her.
‘A succubus.’
In the center of the office stood a succubus, her seductive form accentuated by her long, flowing silver hair.
The two horns jutting from her head and her body clad in a red dress were truly captivating.
She was the epitome of beauty.
But it wasn’t just her appearance that captivated Baalcherit.
She couldn’t help but gasp at the immense power emanating from her.
‘Such power…!’
This was the first time she had encountered such a powerful being besides the owner of the voice.
Could she perhaps be the Succubus Queen?
However, the Succubus Queen had been missing for a long time.
Baalcherit, her mind in turmoil, simply stared blankly.
“It’s nice to meet you for the first time, Riche. My name is Celia.”
Her mind jolted back by the gentle voice, Baalcherit quickly smiled as if nothing were amiss.
“I-it’s nice to meet you too.”
Her voice trembled as she faced someone who was so overwhelmingly powerful. Moreover, the other party already knew her alias.
This presented a dilemma.
Should she introduce herself with her alias, or reveal her true name?
After a moment of hesitation, she made up her mind.
There seemed to be no need to hide her identity by using an alias.
The alias was solely for the purpose of evading the Merchant Guild.
An opponent with such power wouldn’t require her to be mindful of the Guild.
The worry that she might be connected to the Guild, which she had just harbored, vanished instantly.
“My name is Baa-”
Just as she opened her mouth, Celia interrupted her.
“Oh, pardon me. I just received an urgent communication.”
A shadow appeared behind Celia.
“!”
Baalcherit felt her heart lurch at the sight.
These shadows were monsters not widely known in the world.
And they shared the common trait of being favored by the Underworld Merchant Guild.
Their ability to move discreetly without temporal or spatial restrictions made them suitable not only for information gathering but also for assassinations.
Why were such shadows present in this dungeon?
‘Could it be that this dungeon is truly connected to the Guild?’
As Baalcherit looked at the shadows with a worried gaze, Celia smiled.
“Ah, these are my subordinates. I brought them from the Guild.”
In truth, she had stolen them, but Baalcherit took Celia’s words at face value.
After all, there was no law stating that only the Guild could use shadows.
For someone of that caliber, the Guild would have surely provided many conveniences.
The Underworld Merchant Guild trades with all dungeons.
There was a fundamental difference between dungeons that traded with the Guild and dungeons that unquestioningly followed the Guild’s orders.
And she judged that this dungeon traded with the Guild but was not operated by the Guild.
And then she watched as Celia calmly gave orders to the shadows.
Indeed, when a being of this power had something urgent.
As someone who had once managed a dungeon, Baalcherit was curious.
“I see. It seems they couldn’t find Baalcherit’s whereabouts…”
“?”
What was that supposed to mean?
Why were her name being mentioned by the other party?
Baalcherit momentarily wondered if she had misheard and listened again.
“For now, I will handle Baalcherit, so tell them to track the Inquisitor’s movements carefully.”
“Hieek!”
What did she mean, she would capture her?
And what was this about an Inquisitor?
She felt a chill run down her spine at the sudden turn of events.
What on earth was happening?
Soon after, the commanded shadows disappeared, and Celia turned her gaze back to Baalcherit.
“Now, shall we continue our conversation? What were you saying earlier? Your name was Baa-”
“Ah… Ah!”
Baalcherit, flustered for a moment, waved her hand and interrupted Celia.
Whatever the situation, she absolutely couldn’t reveal her real name.
“That’s right! My name is Baaro Riche. Riche! That’s what I was trying to say.”
It would have been a terrible mistake if she had revealed her true name.
Baalcherit hid her flustered expression and watched Celia cautiously.
Surely she hadn’t figured out her identity?
It was more likely that she hadn’t.
After all, didn’t the other party call her Riche the moment they saw her?
Glancing at Celia, Baalcherit quickly sat down.
However, Celia calmly continued speaking as if nothing were amiss.
“I’ve prepared some tea. Please drink it.”
As Celia gestured, the Skeleton Knight brought out the tea.
Baalcherit hid her trembling hands and accepted the cup.
But after taking a sip, her expression contorted.
‘Ugh, it’s disgusting…’
For a vampire, tea, not blood, was entirely unsuited to her palate.
She momentarily frowned but quickly put on a smile, watching Celia.
“By the way, Riche, what brings you here? I heard you came from the Free City Alliance.”
Celia asked directly from the start.
To such a question, Baalcherit hesitated for a moment.
Should she reveal the true reason for coming here?
After a moment’s thought, she decided to reveal only part of it.
Perhaps this succubus might know something about the owner of the voice?
If so, she could quickly set out to find that person.
“Actually, there is someone I very much wish to meet. I’ve been tracking their whereabouts.”
Baalcherit’s past story began to unfold.
“The problem is that I don’t know their appearance or identity. One day, they suddenly started speaking to me. Other than that voice, there are no other clues, so they are truly a mysterious person…”
As Baalcherit spoke, Celia’s eyes flickered for a moment.
Although she quickly concealed her emotions, Baalcherit’s eyes caught that fleeting moment.
However, it wasn’t a major concern.
“So, the owner of the voice… visited you, Riche?”
“Y-yes! I came here to find the owner of the voice. I absolutely need that person! Do you have any information?”
Baalcherit’s voice suddenly became fervent.
If she could only find the owner of the voice, she wanted to apologize for her past mistakes and seek another opportunity.
But finding that being was as difficult as trying to pick stars from the sky.
She desperately hoped that Celia, standing before her, knew of that person’s existence.
“I see… so that’s what happened.”
Celia empathized with Baalcherit’s words but shook her head.
“Unfortunately, I don’t know. I really wish I could help.”
But as expected, Celia’s answer was that she didn’t know.
Baalcherit’s shoulders slumped in disappointment.
“It-it’s alright. This is my problem, so it can’t be helped.”
“…”
An awkward silence lingered.
“Gua?”
Only the Stew Slime in Baalcherit’s arms made a sound.
As the silence continued, Celia spoke first.
“Ah, I heard from Dambi. You don’t have a place to go for now?”
“…That’s right. Would it be alright if I stayed here for a while?”
Baalcherit replied with a weak voice.
If she left the dungeon and went to the Royal Capital now, she was uncertain if she could truly find the owner of the voice.
It seemed safer for Baalcherit to stay here shamelessly for a while.
With this level of power, the Guild wouldn’t dare to act rashly.
Therefore, it was perfect for her to hide for a while and refine her plan.
“Well, since the Master has also given permission, so be it. However, during your stay here, Riche, I would like you to fulfill your role as well.”
This meant that in exchange for staying in the dungeon, she had to do something helpful.
“Of course! If it’s something I can do, I will do it without hesitation!”
Of course, Baalcherit felt it would be shameful to only receive without giving anything in return, so she agreed with Celia’s words.
As she readily accepted, something caught her attention.
A word Celia had just spoken.
‘Master.’
Why had the other party used the word ‘Master’?
It was as if there was a being superior to her, the one managing the dungeon.
Wasn’t the succubus the owner of the dungeon?
‘Wait… Master…?’
Come to think of it, Rills had mentioned ‘Chief Administrator’ before she came to the office.
Her mind was in a state of confusion.
‘Chief Administrator…’
She could manage the dungeon without necessarily being the Master.
Neither Dambi nor Rills had called the succubus their dungeon’s Master.
‘Wait, wait! If that person isn’t the Master, then who is the real Master…?’
She had always assumed the succubus was the dungeon’s owner. But if not, who exactly was the owner of this dungeon?
Baalcherit observed Celia intently.
She was curious, but she didn’t have the courage to ask.
Even without being the dungeon owner, she possessed such a presence.
‘What on earth is the true identity of this dungeon?’
If there was a true dungeon owner, how formidable would that being be?
Baalcherit was suddenly reminded of the owner of the voice.
***
After Baalcherit left, Celia remained alone, lost in thought.
“Baalcherit…”
Although she used the name Riche, she easily guessed it was an alias.
The power Baalcherit exuded was extraordinary.
It was distinctly different from other vampires.
She could feel it even when comparing her to Dambi or Aren.
Celia had simply gone along with the alias as she was hiding her identity.
However, there was one thing Baalcherit did that disturbed Celia.
It wasn’t that Baalcherit had spoken casually to her.
That was not a significant issue.
But this particular thing weighed on her mind.
“Baalcherit is looking for the Master…”
Suddenly, she heard a voice from thin air. From that statement, Celia instinctively realized.
That the owner of the voice Baalcherit mentioned was her Master.
A memory from the past flashed through her mind.
The moment she had been saved by that person.
However, she had no intention of revealing that fact as it was.
She couldn’t let anyone interfere between her and her Master.
Especially not a mosquito like Baalcherit.
“I cannot surrender the Master to a mere bug like you.”
A deep longing surged within Celia’s chest.
She wanted to eliminate Baalcherit immediately, but she remembered her Master’s command.
That person had ordered her to treat guests well.
“The Master must also have some plan.”
She was a servant who served her Master.
Her words were absolute.
Therefore, no disaster occurred that would make her defy her Master’s words out of personal feelings.
Still, Celia found some solace.
Ultimately, it was the fact that Baalcherit was not chosen by the Master.
Even the 5-star Baalcherit was rejected, while she, a mere 3-star, stood proudly beside her Master.
This difference was immense, far beyond simply being chosen or not.
“Indeed. I realize that I am what the Master truly desires!”
At the time, Celia was sealed in the basement of the Church.
But her Master had not only saved her, a mere 3-star, but had also guided her until now.
“That kindness alone is enough.”
All that remained was to solidify her relationship with her Master.
To prevent anyone from interfering.
Forever.
Celia immediately summoned the Skeleton Knight.
“Bring Kazel.”
“Clack!”
“And Baalcherit, no, Riche, leave her to the Death Knight. Make her do manual labor. She has to earn her keep, doesn’t she?”
A moment later, Kazel appeared.
“You summoned me. Chief Administrator.”
Kazel von Rosenberg.
He was a Baron of the Sail Kingdom, but now he was a man who had pledged himself to Celia and the dungeon.
As Kazel arrived, Celia got straight to the point.
“We will conquer the Free City Alliance. And we will dedicate it to our great Master.”
“Understood. I will prepare the relevant data for the Free City Alliance.”
Celia intended to show.
That she, not some mere vampire, was the one needed by her Master.
“The Master’s love is mine alone.”
She would do anything to achieve that.
Even if it meant conquering the continent.
***
– Chief Administrator Celia proposes the conquest of the El Dorado Continent.
“?”
What was this situation?
She couldn’t help but be perplexed by the sudden alarm.
Before this alarm sounded, Celia had clearly been talking with Baalcherit.
‘What on earth did those two talk about?’
What kind of conversation led to the conclusion of conquering the El Dorado Continent?
‘Surely she didn’t visit the dungeon to cause trouble, did she?’
It was a reasonably rational suspicion.
Celia, who had been composed before Baalcherit’s arrival, wouldn’t suddenly come up with such a goal.
“Should I chase Baalcherit out?”
Something was definitely happening in the dungeon.
And then another alarm sounded.
– ‘Arcanea’, the owner of the Lamia Dungeon, has declared war on Kanghyeon Lee’s dungeon.
– Formulate troops to stop Arcanea’s army.
What is this?
My head began to ache from the current situation.
Lamia, when mentioned, was a monster with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a snake.
Why would such a monster suddenly declare war on my dungeon?
“Is Baalcherit actually a spy?”
The situation was coinciding too perfectly.
