Suu stepped into the dungeon, guided by Kaleido.
Perhaps it was because it was a secret space.
The atmosphere was different from the sectors she had seen so far.
As she moved further inside, a chilling aura seemed to press in on Suu.
She felt an ominous presence, as if someone was chasing her.
Each time, she felt a shiver down her spine, but seeing Kaleido’s calm demeanor, she was soon reassured.
After walking for a while longer, the narrow passage led to a huge, circular hall.
“The dungeon is this big…” Suu murmured in surprise.
“This place holds many secrets,” Kaleido replied indifferently.
Indeed, dungeons were places full of endless possibilities. That’s why the Underworld Merchant Guild dispatched merchants whenever a new dungeon appeared, just like Suu now.
However, this dungeon hadn’t existed for long. The sight before her was too large for a newly formed dungeon.
“Um, excuse me. About where are we in the dungeon?” Suu asked cautiously, a question forming in her mind.
At first, she had dismissed it as her imagination, but now she felt it clearly. The atmosphere here was undeniably different. She couldn’t quite articulate what it was.
“I feel strange…” It was just a feeling.
*Clap-*
Kaleido answered her question by clapping his hands.
“You’ll know soon enough.”
The moment the sound of his clapping echoed in the dungeon, Suu’s consciousness cleared, only to become hazy again.
“Ah…”
It felt as if she were being mesmerized by something. Suddenly, she remembered her first day at the Underworld Merchant Guild. At that time, Suu’s heart was filled with excitement and nervousness.
“Ah, I’ve finally made it!”
Her innocent self, marveling at the magnificent building of the Underworld Merchant Guild. Every monster knew the guild’s prestige well. Located near the entrance of the Demonic Realm, it influenced dungeons across the continent. For monsters tired of their current dungeon life or with nowhere else to go, the Underworld Merchant Guild could be an option. If one did well in the guild, they could live a life envied by dungeon lords. Thus, joining the guild was the dream of many monsters.
Of course, not anyone could join. Even if one joined the guild, their future work would be determined by the department they were assigned to. Fortunately, due to her Doppelganger racial trait, Suu was assigned to the Dungeon Support Department. As its name suggested, the department dealt with dungeons. Although there was a risk of encountering humans, it didn’t matter to Suu. As a Doppelganger, she had the skill to transform into human form. So, she thought she would quickly be assigned to handle a dungeon, until she met her fellow new recruit, Evanelyn.
“……”
Suu’s recollection didn’t last long.
*Clap-*
Suu came to her senses at Kaleido’s clapping.
“Is something wrong? You don’t look well.”
“No, no! I’m fine. I just had something to think about. Haha…” Suu waved her hand and gave an awkward laugh in response to Kaleido’s question. Why did past events suddenly come to mind?
‘The Guild…’ The feelings she had on her first day of entry rushed back. Excitement. Worry. Anticipation. But above all, it was a day that brought a great sense of despair.
‘Evanelyn.’ Evanelyn, her fellow recruit. Although a Harpy, she had the blood of a high-ranking demon, making her starting point different from Suu’s. Come to think of it, Evanelyn was wicked. Evanelyn had used her background to torment Suu relentlessly. She spread malicious rumors about Suu and deliberately ruined her work.
‘I knew all of it…’ Suu couldn’t help but know, but she simply endured it. That was the path to surviving in the guild for a long time. But what was the outcome? She hadn’t been able to handle a single dungeon yet. Even if she were to handle Necros’s dungeon now, it would still be a problem.
‘What if this place is taken away?’ This was Suu’s biggest worry. To replace a merchant in charge, the dungeon lord’s will must be firm. However, if she knew Evanelyn, she would try to charm the dungeon lord by any means necessary. Why? Because this dungeon was truly immense. Even Suu thought that with this scale, she could surpass Moru, who was called a legendary merchant. Would Evanelyn just let this pass? No, absolutely not.
‘There’s no way she’d let it go. *Hah*.’ Suu was startled by her own thoughts for a moment.
‘Why am I thinking that…?’ Her mind must have become complicated by the sudden memories of the past. For some reason, she remembered every instance of torment Evanelyn had inflicted on her. When Suu regained her senses and looked up.
“Kyaaak-” Kaleido was looking at her with a slight smile.
‘When… did he start…!’ When had he been watching her?
“Oh dear, you look troubled. Is something bad happening?”
“N-no, it’s not.” Suu’s face turned red at Kaleido’s question. It felt like her hidden shame had been exposed.
“It’s alright. You can tell me without reservation. After all, you will continue to be in charge of this dungeon, won’t you? Our Master Necros doesn’t change subordinates carelessly.” Suu’s face became more relaxed at Kaleido’s subsequent remark. How could he know about the guild’s situation for a newly formed dungeon? While she might be suspicious, it wasn’t important to Suu. She was just happy that someone was there to listen to her.
“Actually, it’s that…” Suu’s story began. It wasn’t a short time, but Kaleido listened to Suu’s entire story. He interjected with supportive comments from time to time.
“Is that so? That happened?”
“That’s not Suu’s fault, is it? It’s okay. Isn’t Evanelyn, that colleague, the one who’s bad?”
“Wow, she’s truly wicked, that Evanelyn.” Suu was delighted to finally have someone on her side. As she spoke, Kaleido empathized, allowing her to open up more. Her heart felt at ease. It even felt as if this dungeon was originally her own place.
“Oh my… So, does that mean Suu wishes Evanelyn dead?”
“What?” Kaleido’s demeanor suddenly changed. Suu asked again if she had heard correctly.
“W-what did you just say…”
However, Kaleido merely looked at Suu without speaking.
“……”
A moment of silence. Yes, Suu had heard correctly. The other person had clearly asked if she wanted Evanelyn dead.
‘Want her dead…?’ No. She swore she had never thought that. That’s why she had managed so well until now. Still, she sometimes thought. If Evanelyn hadn’t been there, could she have managed better?
‘If Evanelyn weren’t around…’ Wouldn’t she be happier?
‘If Evanelyn disappeared…’ Wouldn’t she not have to feel the anxiety of losing her dungeon?
“If Evanelyn died.” Suu mumbled unconsciously. “I would be happier…” If Evanelyn died, she would work harder in the guild. A gap opened in Suu’s heart.
“Now, Suu, do you wish for Evanelyn to disappear?” The other person’s words sounded like a sweet temptation.
“Think carefully about your feelings, Suu.” Kaleido circled Suu with exaggerated gestures.
“Don’t you want to kill your colleague if you had the power?” Suu nodded her head slightly. Because what he said was true. If she had the power, would she have left Evanelyn alone?
‘No.’ The world was fundamentally eat or be eaten. Evanelyn’s tormenting her was because she lacked power. If Suu herself had power, power that surpassed Evanelyn, would she have stood by?
‘No.’ Absolutely not. The thought just now spurred Suu’s resolve. All that remained was her decision.
“Now, Suu, if Evanelyn disappears, what can you offer me?” Soon after, Suu made her decision. If only Evanelyn disappeared, she would do anything.
“E-everything… I’ll do everything I can.” And this choice made Suu a spy.
* * *
“Yes, you did great! Getting such a jackpot in your first assigned dungeon!” Valore, the team leader of the Dungeon Support Department in the Underworld Merchant Guild. His bull-like head shook greatly. It was a powerful bellow befitting a Minotaurus.
“Speaking of which, that dungeon is quite something. To still endure so well amidst humans.” From Team Leader Valore’s perspective, it was an unexpected boon. He had sent Suu thinking the dungeon was already subdued, but it turned out the dungeon was still intact. Not only that, but the contracts Suu had signed were all high-value items. Small in volume but high in price. It was a welcome development for the guild.
As Team Leader Valore laughed, there was someone who was jealous, and that was Evanelyn.
“Hmph, it’s just beginner’s luck.” Evanelyn was in a bad mood. She had recommended Suu to put her in a difficult situation, but it turned out to be a situation where she gifted her a dungeon of at least mid-tier level. ‘If I had known, I would have gone!’ However, she wasn’t going to back down. It wasn’t necessary for the merchant in charge of the dungeon to be Suu. Evanelyn immediately got up and approached Valore.
“Team Leader, but Suu is a beginner, so she might make mistakes. If a transaction for a dungeon this significant is lost due to Suu’s mistake, won’t we bear the full damage?” Evanelyn spoke with complete certainty that Suu would make a mistake. Valore nodded his head at her words.
“You’re right, Evanelyn. Suu lacks experience.” While it might go well for now, there was no guarantee that beginner’s luck would continue. If the transactions with such a dungeon were suddenly lost? The damage would fall solely on the team leader. That’s why Valore told Suu, “Suu, yield this to Evanelyn.” It was essentially a dismissal. Evanelyn inwardly cheered at Valore’s words.
‘Heh heh, serves you right, Suu.’ All that remained was to see Suu’s crestfallen face. But Suu didn’t look crestfallen. Her expression wasn’t crumpled either. Instead, she opened her mouth with a bright expression.
“I will do as the team leader says.”
“……?” Evanelyn looked bewildered at Suu’s immediate compliance. ‘What is it? Is she finally losing her mind?’ Perhaps the torment she had inflicted over time had paid off. It must have been that her will was broken. ‘Hoo hoo, yes. It seems she’s realized that crawling on the ground like this is how you last longer.’ Evanelyn didn’t take it seriously. After all, the dungeon Suu was in charge of was now essentially in her grasp. All that remained was to use it to soar higher.
“Then, Team Leader, I will visit the dungeon again.” Evanelyn left the guild. She never returned to work. At first, they thought it was just a minor incident, but her whereabouts were unknown. It was as if she had evaporated.
* * *
While Necros’s Satellite Dungeon was doing well, Celia, on the other hand, grew more worried. “What’s the current situation?” Kazel immediately answered Chief Administrator Celia’s question.
“As you instructed, Celia, we have completed the dungeon restoration. Siege construction is also proceeding smoothly, and since Riche joined the dungeon, the power in Sector 1-3 has been further strengthened. Most importantly, the alcohol brewed from the Lamias captured by the Goblin Lord is also without any issues.” Kazel von Rosenberg. Although he was a noble from the Sail Kingdom, he was the first human subordinate officer appointed by Celia for efficient missions.
As Kazel said, the dungeon situation had been going smoothly without any problems lately. The damage from the Lamia attack had long since been repaired. The dungeon siege construction was proceeding smoothly. Most importantly, with the addition of Riche (Baalcherit), power had been secured in the most problematic Sector 1-3. There were 5-star Vampires, including Baalcherit, and below them, Aren and the Elf Nariel. In fact, it had superior power compared to other sectors.
If one looked at it this way, Kazel’s answer seemed to have no issues at first glance. However, Celia sighed softly. “Then, how many intruders have entered the dungeon recently?”
“Well… there are no intruders at all.” This was Celia’s concern. There were no intruders entering the dungeon. While one might say it’s good if there are no intruders, it wasn’t for Celia at least.
“This means there are too few offerings to present to Master.” Protecting the dungeon is important. However, if there are too few intruders, the dungeon loses the opportunity to grow. Not only that. Offerings to the Great One also disappear, which became a concern for Celia. Soon, besides the alcohol brewed from Lamias, there would be no offerings to present to Master.
“Please tell me if you have any good ideas.” At Celia’s request, Kazel pondered. How to make intruders come to the dungeon? Unlike other dungeons that worried about how to stop intruders, this was a unique situation. After pondering for a while, Kazel offered an idea.
“Then, how about this?” The content was simple.
“I believe the fundamental reason for the current dungeon is its location.” The dungeon’s location in the mountain range made it difficult for adventurers to visit.
“The biggest problem is that all the intruders have been killed. Someone needs to survive and spread rumors about this place.”
“Indeed, that’s an excellent point, Kazel.” Celia nodded enthusiastically. Celia had been operating the dungeon from a monster’s perspective until now. Thinking that insignificant beings would invade the Great One’s domain, she killed every intruder. Such actions had, paradoxically, cut off the flow of intruders. As Kazel said, it seemed better to let some intruders escape for the sake of the future. Those who escaped would spread notoriety about the dungeon.
“By the way, it’s strange. When adventurers die like this, the Guild usually wouldn’t just ignore it, would they?” Kazel’s words were indeed correct. When adventurers went missing, the Adventurer’s Guild was supposed to investigate, but the Adventurer’s Guild was in a state of disarray. Especially the Adventurer’s Guilds in the Sail Kingdom were in a state of administrative paralysis due to the visit of the White Church envoy and the appearance of a 7-star catastrophe. While quests and activities continued, they had no time to care about past incidents.
“It seems there is some problem with the Adventurer’s Guild.” Regardless of what happened to the Adventurer’s Guild, the problem with the dungeon was now known. Since the problem was known, all that remained was the will to solve it.
“As Kazel said, we need to spread rumors first. We will start promoting the dungeon from now on.” Thus, Celia’s dungeon promotion plan began.
