Chapter 14
Yuurai ran toward the direction the scream had come from.
A few seconds later, she spotted five Black Orcs wielding clubs. The Orcs had three girls cornered against the wall...
(Huh...? Aren't they Human? Or could they be Monsters?)
The three had a mysterious appearance that made it hard to tell if they were Human or Monster.
Their bodies resembled Humans, but their skin was a bluish-gray, and they had no eyes on their faces. They had mouths, but their teeth were sharp like those of beasts. Their hair was black, and a single black horn grew from each of their heads.
These strange three seemed to be a swordswoman, a spear-user, and a mage. Each held their weapon at the ready, preparing to fight the five Orcs.
However, they appeared frightened, their limbs trembling uncontrollably.
(A race that looks like neither Human nor Monster... Could they be Demihumans? The ones who are discriminated against in this world...)
While Yuurai was thinking, the Orcs raised their clubs. The swordswoman and the spear-user tried to counterattack, but their weapons were knocked away by the Orcs' strikes.
(I don't know what they really are, but it looks like I should help them.)
Yuurai stepped between the two sides and faced the five Orcs.
The Orcs looked a bit confused, but still swung their clubs at Yuurai.
"Marionette."
With Yuurai's magic, the movements of all five Orcs stopped.
Yuurai then manipulated one Orc to attack the others. She immobilized four of them and used the remaining one to crush each of their heads in turn.
The last one standing was made to strangle itself. Even without the target being conscious, Marionette still worked, and eventually the last Orc died from suffocation. If she had wanted, she could have made it twist its own neck off.
(I know I'm the one who did it, but this Marionette magic is pretty brutal... If I used it on a person, I'd be a perfect villain... Anyway, moving on.)
"Um, are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"
When Yuurai turned around, the three girls looked even more terrified than when facing the Orcs. Huddled together, they trembled violently, barely able to breathe.
"...Huh? I mean, I thought I was helping..."
"Even if you did help, using powerful Dark Magic right in front of them—of course they'd be scared."
Claire, who had followed her, pointed it out, and Yuurai scratched her cheek.
"I mean, it's more like Dark Magic than regular Dark Magic... but is it really that scary?"
"Dark Magic...? I've never heard of that spell. But regardless, your magic is terrifying to ordinary beings."
"I see... I must look like the embodiment of evil."
"More like... you literally are."
"Huh? Am I really that bad from an objective standpoint...?"
Slightly shaken, Yuurai stepped back from the frightened trio.
"I-It's okay, really? I don't go around attacking people for no reason, okay?"
Trying not to scare them, Yuurai forced a smile, but the girls looked like they were about to faint.
"You shouldn't talk to them too much. Your Magical Energy is too strong—just speaking to them eats away at their minds. Especially for those who aren't powerful, unlike Holy Knights."
Claire's flat explanation left Yuurai feeling disheartened.
"...I'm sorry, you three. That wasn't my intention..."
With a sigh, Yuurai tried to keep her distance from the girls.
"Claire. It looks like it'd be better if I don't do anything, so could you handle this smoothly for me?"
"...Is that an order?"
"Let's say it's an order."
"If it's an order, then I guess I have no choice."
Claire approached the girls and spoke in a calm, even tone.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Claire, an Undead. That monster-looking girl over there is Yuurai, a Dark Lich."
(Did she just casually call me a monster...? Am I really that monstrous...?)
Ignoring Yuurai's dejection, Claire continued.
"We have no intention of harming you. So you can relax for now. Now then... You're from the Eyeless Tribe, right? Demihumans?"
"Y-Yeah, but... W-Who are you people...? What are you planning to do to us!?"
The one responding was the swordswoman. Maybe she was their leader.
"We're not planning anything. At least I hold no warped prejudice. If anything, I could escort you to the Teleportation Circle. Yuurai seems to want you to be safe."
"W-Why would an Undead side with us!? Don't Undead attack the living!?"
"I know that's how it usually is. But I'm not that kind of Undead. My body may be Undead now, but I still retain the will I had as a Human. I don't attack the living indiscriminately—if someone's in trouble, I want to help."
"...Really? I mean, you don't seem hostile, but..."
"You don't have to believe us right away. But if we wanted to kill you, we would've done it already. Since we haven't, I'd like you to not be so afraid."
"...You're right. If you meant to kill us, we'd already be dead... You wouldn't have helped us in the first place..."
"I'm glad you understand."
The girls seemed to calm down a bit.
"So, do you want help escaping? From the looks of it, this floor might be too much for you right now."
"Yeah... If you're willing to help, we'd be grateful. The strength of enemies between the Fifth and Sixth Basement Floors is really different... One Black Orc is manageable, but five at once is too much..."
"In the Dungeon, the difficulty changes drastically starting from the Sixth and again from the Eleventh Basement Floor. That's common knowledge among Humans, but maybe the Eyeless Tribe doesn't know?"
"We heard about it... But we didn't think it'd be this bad..."
"Next time, you should come to the Sixth Floor only after you're strong enough to clear the Fifth Floor solo."
"...Yeah. We'll do that..."
(...So the difficulty really does change between the Fifth and Sixth Basement Floors. I hadn't noticed... But Eleanore died here too, so I guess there really is a difference.)
"Alright, let's head to the Teleportation Circle."
"Okay..."
It seemed like the conversation had wrapped up.
But then, the mage girl behind the swordswoman asked in a trembling voice.
"W-Wait! I get that you don't want to hurt us. But... I can feel the same magic from you as when Grimoire was destroyed... That Dark Lich... Was that your doing...?"