○
"Huu..."
The magical pen moving automatically in front of Sonia to continue recording naturally came to a stop.
"Mmm...!"
She stretched for a moment and looked out the window.
The window was actually an illusion carved into the cave wall, but the magical power contained in the sunlight seeping through it was real.
Just like how Libertas treats them...
It was a contradictory light where affection and possessiveness coexisted.
'It's already been half a year.'
Five months had already passed since she made a contract with the dungeon's owner and served her as a master.
Sonia felt her situation was ironic.
She was serving the very person who killed and subjugated her friends, and eventually made her kneel too.
But at the same time, she understood why Libertas had no choice but to live that way.
She believed so.
'The more I meet her eyes... I can't hate her anymore.'
Hatred and anger were still quietly burning in one corner of her heart, but more often, she recalled Libertas's gentle gaze looking at her.
Sometimes, even those eyes tinged with loneliness.
"Sonia? Your hand has stopped."
Mur was watching Sonia's subtle changes in expression with interest.
Libertas, the most interesting being among all the demons and Dungeon Lords she had seen. And Sonia, Libertas's first disciple.
Observing their relationship was Mur's small pleasure these days.
"Ah. ...There really seems to be no end no matter how much we extract."
"That's understandable."
Mur smiled and answered to Sonia's tired sigh.
They had been repeating the same task for days in a research room where sunlight from outside the dungeon entered.
It was the work of documenting Arpina's vast knowledge.
"According to this female's... no, I'm sorry. According to this woman's memories, she lived by eating humans for a full 10 years."
Sonia smiled bitterly at Mur's consideration, quickly correcting her term out of awareness for her.
It was as she said.
Arpina was a harlot who indiscriminately seduced and devoured anyone with attractive knowledge, whether that knowledge was necessary for her or not.
"Since she just accumulated the knowledge of the humans she devoured without organizing it, this amount is natural. Well, thanks to that, I've been able to access a lot of new knowledge lately, so it's not bad."
Ironically, her lustful and cruel tendencies resulted in passing on that vast knowledge to a certain Dungeon Lord.
Although it wasn't systematically organized and not everything was useful, if this vast power was refined and absorbed, the dungeon's strength would be further enhanced.
Sonia thought that...
"Doesn't it bother you?"
At Mur Felix's sudden question, Sonia straightened her back in surprise.
It was as if she had seen through her thoughts.
"Huh? What?"
"You're human, Sonia. But you're working for the dungeon."
Arpina's knowledge will ultimately be used to place Dungeon Lord Lady Libertas above all humans and demons.
The fate of countless human knowledge being freely utilized in the hands of demons.
"Isn't that uncomfortable for you as a human?"
"...Are you testing me?"
Seeing Sonia's hardened expression, Mur raised both hands and laughed glibly.
"Fufu. Of course not. I was just curious how a human could serve the Lady so sincerely like this. After all..."
Mur's voice whispered softly.
To Sonia's ears, her voice sounded as sweet and dangerous as a demon seducing and devouring a pure maiden.
"You've already broken free from the Lady's hypnosis, haven't you?"
"...! How did you!"
Sonia felt goosebumps on her back.
It was relatively recent that she had broken free from the initial suggestion Libertas had placed on her.
She hadn't reported that to Libertas yet.
She guessed that she must have already noticed, but she didn't know what to say.
"Because I have the ability to teach soul magic to the Lady."
Looking at Sonia covering her mouth, Mur hid her amusement and smiled gently.
She was curious whether this young witch truly served the Dungeon Lord sincerely, and what her true intentions were.
"That's enough, Viscountess."
The one who stopped Mur from sticking to Sonia was the Alraune queen with black hair and eyes rimmed with rainbow-colored radiance.
Nirvana had been helping with the research here from the beginning.
Although she had no knowledge of soul magic, she too was an expert in seduction like Arpina.
"No matter what past she had, or what feelings she harbors now... What's important is that she serves our master now. Or does the Viscountess have some other intentions?"
Nirvana's expression was still gentle. As if she had no intention of questioning or arguing at all.
But in her heart, wariness towards Mur was growing.
Among the countless Dungeon Lords she had met while wandering the earth for over a hundred years, Libertas's existence was unique.
It was natural to be wary of Mur, who seemed to threaten the value of such a person.
Mur didn't miss the glow flowing from Nirvana's eyes either.
'This is...'
Mur's eyes narrowed slightly.
She saw through that it wasn't pure consideration or camaraderie contained there.
It was jealousy and desire.
A smile appeared on Mur's lips.
"Of course not. I was just curious. It's not... a common thing for an uncorrupted human to serve a demon, is it?"
It was natural for Nirvana's inner heart to twist at those words.
What settled on Mur's lips was a twisted pleasure.
She was outwardly polite and gentle, but in reality, she was quite a twisted being.
As demons and monsters usually are.
"You might think so, but it's surprisingly common in this world. Demons and humans cooperate, or one side enters under the other."
"Is that so...?"
Mur nodded silently.
Nirvana was a queen of demons who had grown up on the surface.
It was natural that she knew more about surface affairs than Mur herself, and there was nothing to gain by arguing.
"Lady Sonia. Let's continue the research quickly. Master is waiting for the results of this research, isn't she?"
Nirvana's words were tinged with deeper consideration than usual.
For her, Libertas was not just a simple master, but an object of very intense desire.
She thought that helping Sonia, her disciple, would be beneficial to herself as well.
"Ah, yes. We should."
Sonia nodded and picked up her pen again.
Complex emotions flowed in the lines drawn by her quill pen. Anger and pity, and perhaps even an emotion similar to motherhood.
She still hadn't gained confidence in how to treat Libertas.
'Interesting people next to an interesting person.'
Mur enjoyed watching all of this.
Lady Libertas and the relationships surrounding her. She was curious how all of this would continue in the future.
But in reality, she didn't notice that she herself was gradually falling for Libertas's charm.
○
Clunk.
Not long after they had started focusing on research again like that, the door of the research room opened quietly.
"You've all worked hard."
A gentle voice that calmed the hearts of listeners filled the room.
The owner with an appearance as if a queen painted in a portrait hanging in a royal palace had walked out.
It was Libertas.
"Everyone. Would you come here?"
She slowly looked around the room.
The sound of her black dress hem brushing the floor resonated like a melody.
The white legs occasionally revealed subtly through the translucent hem of her skirt were enough to captivate the viewer's gaze.
"Lady."
"Master."
"Master."
As the three bowed their heads politely at the same time and then raised their heads to meet her eyes, a gentle smile bloomed on Libertas's lips.
She already knew all the situations in this place.
"Mur. You've been doing something worth watching lately. Don't torment my people too much by being immersed in curiosity. I don't want to drive away someone who has become my teacher for irreverent matters."
Mur's eyes widened for a moment, then soon calmed down.
It was an expression clearly showing the deep embarrassment of a schemer whose true intentions had been exposed.
"I'm sorry, Lady."
"It's alright. As long as it stays within the bounds of curiosity."
She quickly bowed her head to answer and hid her face.
Although it was through a familiar, it was the words of a demon who had subdued a magician several levels more powerful than herself.
Libertas's warning that she would pay a corresponding price if she tormented her disciple too much sent chills down her spine.
"Nirvana. I appreciate your loyalty, but don't be too tense. I hope this place can be a sanctuary for you too."
The tension in Nirvana's shoulders eased slightly.
Desire for Libertas was still lingering in her eyes, but Libertas didn't bother to point it out.
Desire was the essence and driving force of Alraunes after all.
"And... Sonia."
Libertas approached Sonia with elegant steps.
As the hem of her black dress swayed quietly, her white hand gently touched Sonia's shoulder.
"The progress has become incredibly fast in just a few days. I'm so proud."
"Master..."
"But..."
Sonia raised her head at that warm touch.
Sincere concern was nestled in Libertas's purple eyes.
"...Don't overdo it. Your health is more important."
At that moment.
'This is...'
Sonia properly realized why she had decided to stay here, even though she had broken free from her power and felt some sense of betrayal.
Her heart began to beat faster under the chest she was pressing.
Because of something beyond hatred and pity.
It was the true emotion keeping her here.
Whether knowing her state or not, Libertas turned away from her and raised one hand, saying.
"Now everyone take a little rest. How about a cup of tea?"
With one gesture of Libertas's raised hand, all the documents on the table moved as if dancing and found their respective places.
Sonia's eyes widened as she watched the organized and unorganized documents being neatly arranged without mixing with each other.
Her master, who hadn't even been here all along, had already grasped the progress of all the research.
Clunk.
While the documents were being organized, maids and attendants from outside the door pushed in trays with tea and unfolded black folding tables to prepare for tea time.
The scent of tea, both fitting and contradictory to the dungeon in the form of an antique mansion, filled the room.
"Research is important, but time spent together like this is important too."
All three smiled in their own ways.
The small peace created by Libertas's gentle charisma was melting away all the wariness and tension that had filled the research room.
"Sit down."
She personally moved magical power to pour tea for the three.
Each tea contained different colors and fragrances.
The queen of this dungeon knew the preferences of her disciple, retainer, and subject.
Considering that her true nature was a being spreading fear and chaos on this earth, such an appearance was very unfitting.
But the women in this place were not those who would care about such things.
Only this peaceful moment with Libertas was important.
○
"You say Master is coming in person?"
-That's right. So prepare accordingly.
As Talhan asked in a tense voice, Evangeline's gentle voice resonated through the communication magic circle.
But Talhan knew. That he should do well when she was still being gentle.
"Ah... Understood. Thank you, Chief Administrator."
-Then, good luck. Talhan.
After the communication ended, Jason, the head of the Information Guild of Copzerin, who had now been recognized for his abilities and experience and put in charge of the central part of Heisen...
...or more precisely, Talhan who was wearing his body, made a momentarily flustered face.
News that his true master, whom all information guilds serve, not humanity, was visiting where he was.
Because he knew that the reason was inspection and testing.
"You all heard?"
""Yes!""
When Talhan spoke in a coldly calmed voice, the subordinates who were already gathered answered in unison.
The initial bewilderment was already gone. His eyes were already coldly calmed.
Because he instinctively realized that this was a new opportunity she was giving him.
"Organize the results at each position and prepare to report. This is a chance to show what we've been doing so far and receive appropriate rewards. Move!"
""Yes!!""
The demons who received the order quickly scattered in human form.
Listening to their footsteps fading away, Talhan clenched his fist resolutely.
'Has the time come to receive the postponed reward...?'
If this goes well, all of Heisen's information network will fall into his and his master's hands.
If he fully dedicates that information network to his master and the dungeon finds stability... he will be able to rise to a higher place than now.
Both in human lands and in the dungeon.
"Good."
A smile filled with enthusiasm appeared on Talhan's lips.
His driving force was a different kind of greed from Nirvana's.
It was the power to freely wield the world of humans.
That was one of the highest values he pursued.
'For the Great Master.'
Of course, he knew well that all of that would only be achieved when he proved his loyalty to his master.