Chapter 28

Chapter 28

A brief silence passed.

“You... moved...”

“No, I didn’t. You’re wrong.”

“You spoke! You moved! Grow, flower, grow!”

“Hey! I think you’re the one that needs a flower, baldy!”

“You spoke again! Grow, grow!”

The bud sprouting from Ephael’s head swelled up as if it were going to burst at any moment. His Dead Man’s Flower exhibited a delicate plum hue, mirroring the shade of his eyes.

“Ah, looks like our little blonde guest is a no-go. I knew you stigma bearers wouldn’t make for very good pots.” Rodrigo sat perched on his chair, crossing his legs and enjoying the spectacle before him.

“Ah, who cares! Just die!” Ephael ignored the tingle of the flower’s roots creeping deeper into his head and lunged at the mole.

Clang!

The fork imbued with divine power was intercepted by the mole’s sharp front claws, which were surprisingly agile, unlike the rest of his clumsy body. Delivering an effective blow was going to be difficult while being on the defensive.

“Damn, this is annoying.” Ephael fell back to catch his breath when the mole switched targets.

“Target...priority...switch!” The mole’s button eyes turned in a different direction, now facing Hestio. The mole doll burrowed into the ground with frightening speed as it rushed toward Hestio.

“Ahhh! Hey, what the hell! Why are you attacking me? I never touched you!”

“Ooh! Nice going, Hestio! Block him with your body and buy some time!”

“Hey, can’t you even fight properly?!”

“Sorry. I’m a bruiser, not a tank.”

Dungeon expeditions were comprised of at least four roles: tank, bruiser, support, and healer. In situations where the tank isn’t able to fulfill its role, the healer becomes the number one target, followed by the support. It was only natural that the mole targeted Hestio, who was giving out buffs.

“Geez. And I thought stigma bearers were supposed to be the Vatican’s ultimate weapon. Why are you guys so weak? I’m so disappointed.”

Hestio and Ephael winced at the butler’s scathing remarks. This was their first time in an actual dungeon. Despite all their efforts to remain level-headed, they were rather unsettled by the challenges they were being faced with, one after the other. The closest thing they had to actual experience was against training beasts raised in the Vatican.

It didn’t help that the mole doll they were facing was a mid-level boss in an S-class dungeon. The mole was strong enough to be the boss of a B-class dungeon, which normally only an assault team of at least six fighters would take on.

Backed into a corner, Hestio narrowly blocked the mole’s claws. “Hey, Ephael. I really didn’t want to say this but—”

“Is this your last will and testament?”

“Shut up.”

“Sorry. What is it?”

“I really miss Tesilid.”

“I was right. This is your last will and testament. I’ll make sure I tell him.”

“Shut your trap and help me out here!”

Rodrigo sarcastically cheered them on. “You’re still doing fairly well over here. The stigma bearers in the eastern and northern pavilions have already been annihilated. You both are managing quite well, considering it’s just the two of you. Very good! I’m impressed.”

Hestio and Ephael flinched at the butler’s announcement. The stigma bearers in the north and east were gone? What about the west? What about the western pavilion where Tesilid was?

“Well, do please wriggle like the worms you are. Not that it’ll make much of a difference. You’ll all be following after your little friends soon enough.”

Just as the demon finished disparaging the two boys, a loud noise exploded through the hall.

Crash!

The enormous doors that led into the banquet hall came thundering down, followed by a torrent of forks and knives. The mole doll quickly put some distance between himself and Hestio.

“What is it?” Rodrigo sprung out of his chair. It was only right for the butler to welcome any new arrivals. He spotted Tesilid walking through the doorway and sputtered in dismay. “Y-you’re that silver-haired twerp! Why aren’t you at the western pavilion?! How did you get over here so quickly?”

Most of the credit really went to Rodrigo himself for getting rid of the source of the hellfire that had been blocking the path.

“Hestio, Ephael, are you still alive?” Tesilid emerged from the settling dust with a golden flower attached to his hair. As he strolled past Rodrigo, a second intruder followed him. A pink-haired little girl peered out from behind him.

“Introduce me to your friends, Tesilid.”

Rodrigo’s eyes widened in disbelief. The bud of a Dead Man’s Flower brimmed with potential as it prepared to burst open from atop the girl’s pink hair. The color of the petals, emanating an unusual amount of magic, was that of a rich, dark violet.

✠

It almost seemed as if all the attention in the room was being focused on me, instead of Tesilid, who was radiating the aura of a true protagonist. The butler, who had been baring his teeth at Tesilid just moments ago, now turned his attention toward me with a sense of wonder.

“I can’t believe it! Dark violet! It’s really dark violet! I-I’ve successfully produced a dark violet flower! Perhaps I’ve awakened my talent as a gardener!”

What nonsense was he spewing? He thinks I’m his personal flower pot. We took the chance while Rodrigo was distracted to put our plan into motion.

Tesilid diverted the mole’s attention onto himself and led it away from the children. I approached the wounded stigma bearers. It was pretty easy to tell them apart from the rest of the children, thanks to their white robes. Let’s see now. I think the dark-haired one is Hestio and the blonde is Ephael.

“How’s it going, friends of Tesilid? My name’s Ailette.” I wanted to make a good first impression, but they immediately scrunched up their faces in distaste.

“Who’s friends with whom?”

“Did he say that himself? That we’re friends?”

I guess this issue was important enough to argue about in our current situation. Then I’d better get serious too.

“You guys aren’t friends? Then I guess I don’t need to heal your wounds.” I dangled my healing potions in front of them.

“We’re friends all right.”

“Yup, best buddies.”

What a flexible attitude. Tesilid surely needed these guys by his side.

Thud!

“Gurgle...”

The mole doll keeled over while foaming at the mouth. This was Tesilid’s second mole kill, in addition to the one in the western pavilion where we came from.

They were all stigma bearers that had been raised in the Vatican, but the main protagonist sure was something else. Rodrigo paid no heed to his fallen subordinate. His attention was solely focused on the flower attached to my head.

“Dark violet... A dark violet Dead Man’s Flower! This is the best! Maybe I’ll keep it for myself and put the flower pot inside my office. Ah, what am I saying? That flower is priceless. Should I sell it on the Demon Realm’s black market? Or maybe I should offer it to one of the three great demon lords.” Rodrigo giggled gleefully to himself as he considered all the possibilities.

When he finally finished rambling about his premature plans, Rodrigo asked, “You there, little lady with the pink hair. What is your name?”

“You don’t even know the name of the guest you invited? You’re a terrible butler.”

“Ah! What a bold and cheeky response! I’m starting to take a liking to the flowerpot as well!” Rodrigo suddenly glared at me with his steely, piercing eyes. “But it’ll be in the best interest of the young lady to answer this gentleman’s question. Or else I’m going to start popping these little brats’ heads until you answer me with that adorable little mouth of yours!”

“Ailette Rodeline.”

“Very good, Miss Ailette. Hehe...”

Ephael and Hestio silently fumed as they took my answer as a sign of submission.

“Miss Ailette, as you have captured my interest, I shall offer you the choice to decide your fate. Won’t you come with me?”

“What will happen if I go with you?”

“You’ll be dressed in a gothic Lolita-style dress that I so adore and be given the honor of meeting the great Count Orshe! Don’t ask what comes after. I haven’t decided whether I’ll hand you off to the auction or offer you up to the demon lord.”

I pretended to mull over the options and answered, “That sounds quite nice actually.”

“What?”

“Hey! Are you insane?”

Both Ephael and Hestio’s eyes bulged in shock. I couldn’t see Tesilid’s face because he was too far away. I ignored their reactions and looked straight at Rodrigo.

“Right? Precisely! I knew we would see eye to eye, Miss Ailette!”

“Sure.”

“A proper lady always makes wise decisions. Now then, if you would come this way.”

“But I have one condition. I want you to release all of the kids here.”

“What? T-that’s a little...”

“What, you can’t do it? You want to take in a lady of my caliber, but you can’t afford to spare a few kids? You’re not just a terrible butler. You’re a terrible gentleman too!”

I must’ve hit a nerve as Rodrigo began to tremble. Wonderful. I was almost there. I could feel it. With this, all the other kids could safely escape the dungeon, and I could go straight to the boss’s room. Ah, this is the perfect example of hitting two birds with one stone.

⟬The Voice that Shapes the World notices your plan and applauds your ingenuity.⟭

“Hurry up. Do we have a deal or not?”

“F-fine! But I want you to sign this contract that says you’ll do everything I tell you to—”

A silvery missile flew across the hall, interrupting Rodrigo mid-sentence. A knife imbued with divine power tore apart Rodrigo’s contract. Almost simultaneously, I felt my body being pulled back.

“Don’t make me laugh. You can never take this girl.”

Oh. I’d totally forgotten about this guy. Our noble, yet clueless protagonist, Tesilid hid me behind his back.

The white of Rodrigo’s eyes turned blood-red with rage. “You! You impudent silver-haired piece of crap! How dare you rip apart my precious contract!”

Tesilid stared back at the butler defiantly.

“I think it’s time I show these obnoxious stigma bearers and all the other useless brats who’s the boss around here. The only one who’s getting out of here alive is my pink flowerpot!”

So much for my plan.

⟬The Critic for Balance remarks that the express train headed for the boss’s room has departed the station.⟭

Oh, how right you are, Lord Balance. It looks like I’m stuck with the slow-moving commuter rail operated by Tesilid and company.

Rodrigo flew up to the ceiling. “You just wait right there, my little children. I’ll be right back to play with all of you, as soon as I find out the going price for a dark violet Dead Man’s Flower! I’ll send out the grim reaper to play hide and seek with you, so please behave while I’m gone!”

He addressed me separately, “My dear, beautiful lady, I shall return with your dress. I’ll be right back!” Rodrigo disappeared with a wink and was replaced by the clown dolls from the previous game.

“Ah! It’s that doll from before!”

The children scattered in a panic, fleeing through the open doors to hide. Myself, Tesilid, Ephael, and Hestio remained in the banquet hall.

Hestio lazily parried the clown doll’s strikes. “Hey, you said your name is Ailette?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Okay, Ailette. No wonder you and Tesilid were hanging out with each other. You act just like hi— Ack! Hey! Why’d you push me?!”

Tesilid had shoved past Hestio, but it didn’t seem like he came to save me from Hestio’s nagging. He met my eyes in silence.

⟬The Voice that Shapes the World grumbles about how this young punk is acting all serious.⟭

⟬The Scale that Judges Souls remarks this little guy still looks handsome even when he’s angry.⟭

And it was so. Tesilid’s face was expressionless as if he was trying to contain his anger. “Were you intending to sacrifice yourself?”

No, I was trying to get some stuff done around here.

Tesilid came a little closer to me as I held my silence. “Do you even know what would happen to you if you were captured by that demonic bastard? He’s not just called a demon for show. You’d probably be tortured for eternity, begging for death. What in the world caused you to make such a deranged suggestion?”

His forced calm demeanor started to break down as his voice began to tremble.