Dungeon Defense (WN)

The evening sky had arrived over Niflheim.

“T-This is enough! Your Highness, this is more than enough!”

Ivar shouted with a face dyed the same color as the setting sun. There was a world of difference in her appearance compared to when we had initially left the firm earlier. It was quite literally a difference from head to toe.

“But we still have your important shoes left.”

“Earlier you said there were still the important bracelets left and before that you said there were still the important earrings left. This humble one will no longer be deceived!”

Ivar turned her head sharply and glared at me.

Adorable—.

I want to buy her things. I want to buy her a whole bunch of things—.

There has never been a woman who could open my wallet this easily. The descent of a Goddess. This wasn’t enough to fully describe her existence.

This was the power of an official heroine from <Dungeon Attack>……. I thought I had become, Dantalian, an unredeemable man who was tormented by constant hardship, but it almost felt like Ivar’s presence at my side was enough to heal me.

Although being healed was impossible.

“In the first place, I am wealthier than Your Highness.”

Ivar stuck her lips out.

“I have all sorts of rare gems in my personal vault. I even have an accessory made by a master dragonkin craftsman. Your Highness is greatly mistaken if you think that you could curry favor from me with materialistic goods.”

“Hm? It seems you are misunderstanding something.”

I shook my hand.

“My gifts are not for the wealthiest person in the demon world or the chief of Keuncuska. I bought these gifts for a girl by the name of Ivar Lodbrok.”

“Pardon me?”

Ivar blinked several times. It seems she failed to realize my intentions.

I held a faint smile on my lips.

“For thousands of years, you laid slumbering under eternal snow. Until you met me. The wealth you accumulated and the extravagance you indulged in do not matter. None of those things were for yourself. You were investing in the ‘image you have in front of others’.”

In order to act as the chief of Keuncuska.

Until now, the small vampire girl known as Ivar Lodbrok had been dashing forward continuously in order to succeed more than others and not be ignored.

I glanced at Niflheim.

The city was slowly submerging under the amber glow of the setting sun.

“Earlier today, you said to me that extravagance is meaningful when others can see it. Then what about you? No matter how much people look at you, all they see is a fake doll.”

“…….”

“What meaning is there when no one can perceive your true form?”

Niflheim is a city that contains a girl named Ivar Lodbrok’s wish.

A place that only seeks the interest of merchants. Even Demon Lords are unable to spread their influence here. From goblins to elves, hundreds of different races gathered here regardless of their race or class.

But what is this paradox?

The girl is unable to be here in this place that has fulfilled the girl’s most desperate wish while in her true form.

While everyone else was living according to their own beliefs outside the control of Demon Lords, Ivar Lodbrok was the only one excluded from this. She continued to perform endlessly in the guise of a doll.

“Ivar. Baal is dead. Agares has also fallen.”

A gentle tone came out on its own.

“The individuals who could control the demon world with their strength alone are gone now. From now on, political justifications will most likely become important when Demon Lords want to deal with someone. The justification will be determined according to how well they wish to appear to demon society. This should drastically decrease the instances of demons being controlled for no reason.”

“…….”

“You do not have to live like a doll now.”

I stroked the girl’s blonde hair.

“Have you not realized yet? Today was the first time you spent as yourself.”

“A day spent as myself…….”

She muttered blankly.

“This must be the first time in three thousand years. Is this not a joyous occasion?”

I remarked with a smile.

“How was it, Ivar? How did it feel to look at your city with your own two eyes?”

“…….”

Ivar closed her mouth tightly.

“Ah. Of course, there is something I must apologize for as well. I was originally planning to deal with Vassago as well, but his life principles were so marvelous that I could not bare to kill him. I instead got three of his spirit kings killed, so he should be unable to do much for the next several hundred years.”

I scratched the back of my head.

“This is shameless of me, but could you forgive me with this?”

Ivar lowered her head.

A moment of silence went by before she murmured.

“You really are mean……. How could you say this in a moment like this and after a day like that? I have no other choice but to forgive you…….”

The girl’s shoulders were trembling slightly.

“Demon Lords are all liars…… so I believed it would be the same this time…… And yet, Baal and Agares are actually gone. My mind is in turmoil because you kept your promise, so if you say that to me……in that way, then…….”

Sobs gradually filled her voice.

She was someone whose life was cultivated solely through her hatred toward Demon Lords.

“If I no longer have to hold hatred for Demon Lords, then…… what am I supposed to do now……?”

“That is a problem you must think about from now on.”

I answered quietly.

“As this is not something that someone else can think about in your stead, you cannot avoid it either. In other words, this is a problem unique to you. It is a problem that is given to everyone at least once in their life and must be handled with care.”

However, I added at the end.

“These kinds of problems must always start with you looking back at yourself. If you continue to wear a doll mask, then you can only answer as a doll. You are a girl. You must not forget this absolutely simple and pure fact.”

“……I already threw away my desire to live as a girl a long time ago.”

“Is that so?”

I raised Ivar’s chin. She didn’t resist at all.

What entered my view was a girl’s face drenched in tears.

“But you should have obtained a reason to pick up what you had once tossed away.”

“……Y-Your Highness is also a liar!”

Ivar shouted. Her voice was a mess as she had spoken in between sobs. Her words trembled as they were buried under the tears.

“Tricking me with sweet words…… I’m nothing more than a one-night stand, and even now…… it’s not like Your Highness l-loves me!”

“Mm.”

“I know everything! Who do you think receives Lapis Lazuli’s reports? A trade must always be fair……. Even if I were to devote my life to Your Highness, Your Highness wouldn’t do the same, so……!”

When faced with a situation like this,

men react in different ways.

A genuinely kind man would affirm the other person’s words. I cannot love you. Please forgive me. This may injure the person deeply for the time being, but in the long term, this was better.

A rather evil man would cleverly deny the other person’s words. No, I do love you. How could I not love a woman as beautiful as you? By some uncontrollable force of nature, I opened my eyes to true love. I want to treat you as someone precious to me…….

And a really evil man would…….

“……!”

Kiss the girl.

I gently held Ivar’s head with my right hand and raised her chin with my left. I then lowered my head and gave her a surprise kiss as I stared into her purple eyes.

Her eyes widened. They almost looked like wet pieces of amethyst.

At first, Ivar tried to push me away, but the strength in her arms gradually faded away before she eventually closed her eyes. Her tears created a thin trail as they slid down her face.

Niflheim’s evening sun quietly lit up our bodies.

A sudden noise rang out to shatter the silence.

「Ivar Lodbrok’s affection has risen by 9.」

「Ivar Lodbrok’s affection has reached 100.」

「Noble and pure love! The other party considers you completely as their lover. A new title has been bestowed upon them for this outstanding love.」

I smiled in my head.

—I won’t lose you.

Not only was Ivar Lodbrok the richest person in the demon world, but she also led a massive merchant firm. Moreover, she possessed considerable power on her own and the Ivar from the game would remain loyal to the person she had feelings for no matter what.

Wealth, authority, strength, and loyalty. Only an idiot would let go of someone like that.

I pulled Ivar closer to me. Once I did, I’m not sure if she was conscious of it, but she wrapped her slender arms around my back. I could clearly feel her fingers against my back.

The evening sun fell over the city.

* * *

I finally returned to my Demon Lord Castle after my business at Niflheim was over. 

I deliberately used a teleportation scroll in the middle of the night. At the very least, I didn’t want to meet anyone tonight. Fortunately, my bedroom was completely quiet. I let out a sigh of relief as I laid on my bed.

“…….”

I’m certain that I’m feeling jealous of Ivar Lodbrok. 

Ivar only has a bright future left ahead of her now. It was fine for her to no longer wear her acting mask. She will probably be able to look at the world in the body of a girl, as her true self. Even if a tragedy befalls her, that tragedy would belong to her alone.

I couldn’t say the same for myself.

I’ve already reached a point where I can no longer remove my mask. The period of time when I could say that I had to put on a mask for the sake of survival had long passed.

Ivar and I will most likely walk in different directions from now on. She will walk down a path to her true self while I will continue down a path of lies and treachery……. 

The emotion I felt toward Ivar was close to that of jealousy and admiration. There was someone before me who was walking down their own path. This fact didn’t make me angry or anything. It simply made me feel a little depressed…….

– Knock, knock.

Someone had knocked on the door.

I furrowed my brows. Did someone notice my arrival? How?

“Sir Dantalian.”

It was Lapis’ voice. I let out an exhausted sigh.

“Yes. You may enter.”

“Pardon my intrusion.”

Lapis was given a tool that would notify her whenever a spell was cast inside the castle. I had gifted it to her since she was the person who was in charge of the Demon Lord Castle during my absence.

But this is unexpected.

I had deliberately returned in secret. There’s no way the clever Lapis wouldn’t realize this. Leave me alone for the time being, that’s the message I was trying to give off. Why would Lapis go out of her way to come here……?

“I believe you would want some alcohol.”

Lapis was in her usual formal attire and holding a tray.

“Would Your Highness care for a bottle of Year 230 Valhalla Wine?”

“His Highness Dantalian is greatly pleased!”

As expected of Lapis.

I drank the wine straight from the bottle.

Once I did, Lapis pulled out a small bundle as if she had prepared it beforehand.

“These tobacco leaves were recently developed by Chief Jeremi. I recommend testing these leaves as a way to relieve stress.”

“Mm. His Highness Dantalian is delighted.”

I immediately crushed the leaves in my pipe and lit it. It was amazing.

Before long, this meeting that abruptly started with Lapis giving me bribes led to me singing the blues. My head was filled with drugs and I had also become a drunkard with wine. It was only natural that my words would come pouring out like a mess, but Lapis still nodded and listened with her usually impassive look.

“So I burned it all down! Haha!”

My retelling had reached its climax.

I burst out into laughter when I talked about the part where I slaughtered a bunch of people around Parisiorum. Lapis remained calm here as well. After listening to my retelling all the way to the end, she tossed out a remark.

“I see that Sir Dantalian deliberately resorted to immolation.”

“Indeed. Because that was the most efficient method! I am truly amazing!”

“I am not referring to its efficiency.”

Lapis shook her head for the first time since I had started talking.

“Immolations are naturally eye-catching. However, despite its cruel outer appearance, its substance is actually surprisingly weak. This is because, out of all the methods that can be used to kill humans, immolation is one of the most time-consuming.”

“……Eh?”

“Sir Dantalian had deliberately chosen an ‘inefficient’ method of slaughter.”

Lapis spoke emotionlessly.

“Although it plants an extreme amount of fear into the hearts of people, you also kill the least number of people. I understand. That is—.”

As if she were saying something obvious.

“Something that incredibly befits you.”

“…….”

I closed my mouth.

Lapis refilled my glass that had become empty. I silently drank the alcohol. Lapis poured another glass.

“……Lapis.”

“Yes, Sir Dantalian.”

“I hate those words.”

Lapis nodded.

“I know.”

“Then why did you say them?”

“Let us say that this is a privilege for those who have to listen to drunken ramblings.”

“…….”

I let out a sigh and drank my wine.

No words were exchanged between us for a while after that.

That’s right.

These kinds of people exist in the world.

***

“By the way.”

“Hm?”

“A large number of bills arrived from Niflheim. They were not at the level of a few thousand libras. As Sir Dantalian’s chancellor and finance minister, I have no idea where these could have come from.”

“……Huh? Oh, those. Well.”

“I did my utmost to keep your financial situation sound while Your Highness was out during the war, but it seems none of that mattered. Please tell me how I am supposed to deal with this.”

“…….”

“…….”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“How surprising. Does Sir Dantalian think that I said all this to hear an apology? Do you think that I value your apology more than finding out where the money was spent when I am both the chancellor and the finance minister?”

“…….”

“I am simply asking Sir Dantalian a question. Allow me to ask you again. What are all these bills for?”

“I am truly sorry…….”

I’ll just say that Lapis’ nagging goes on an average of five hours.

All I did was spend my money…….

The world is surprisingly unfair.

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. I’m somehow still pumping out chapters. I’ve said it before, but casual chapters like this one are nice to translate. Uh, I don’t have too much to say. I’m actually feeling pretty shitty right now. Got a sore throat and I’m feeling a bit feverish. I don’t think it’s Covid, but I’m not sure. I started to feel like this after the temperature suddenly dropped, so it might just be a normal cold. I guess only time will tell.

I’ll see you guys in the next chapter.

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