WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Mordor

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Mistaken as the Dungeon Boss Monster ◈

Chapter 17: Who Am I? The Seven Palaces of the Abyss Boss (Actually Not)

──────

"A Death Knight is the boss of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss? Ha. Do you expect me to believe such nonsense?"

Well, would you look at that?

The wolf Beastfolk had looked flustered at first, but soon returned to staring at me with disbelief.

The wolf Beastfolk had a point. The boss of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss, which stood at the pinnacle of the 72 Dungeons, was just a Death Knight?

Compared with the Lich King, another boss of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss, their standings in the undead hierarchy were incomparable.

It would be a different story if I were an Irregular Death Knight, but apparently I didn't look like one to the wolf.

"There is no obligation to prove it to you. Where is your boss? A direct audience is necessary."

"...Is that true?"

The wolf Beastfolk's fierce momentum from moments ago quickly faded.

Make up your mind already. Believe it or don't. Why keep changing your tune?

Charlotte, who hated exhausting arguments, sighed repeatedly.

She took something from her clothes and showed it to them. It was a summoning ticket from the Dungeon Association.

The ticket tore apart, a portal formed, and a Demon Merchant leaped out.

Everything happened in neat succession, as though it were a set procedure.

"I greet your exalted presence. Hmm? Oh? Aren't you the Keeper of the Lionheart King? What connection do the two of you have?"

"Enough. I have a question. Who is the person I serve as master?"

Charlotte politely pointed to me with both hands.

The Demon Merchant followed her fingers toward me, then innocently blinked.

"Why, the master of one of the New Seven Palaces of the Abyss, of course. But why do you ask?"

Instead of answering, Charlotte glanced at the wolf Beastfolk.

Her eyes clearly said, So, what will you do now?

The wolf Beastfolk's rapidly changing expression was truly a sight to behold.

Their eyes widened beyond their limits, their brows and parted lips trembled, and their whole body shook like an aspen.

When that expression turned toward me, I felt awkward for no reason.

If they find out I'm impersonating the boss later, the karma will hit me hard.

"I-I have committed a sin deserving of death!"

Still sprawled on the ground, the wolf Beastfolk bowed deeply.

They slammed their forehead into the ground, lifted it, then slammed it down again and again as if trying to hurt themself.

"This lowly servant failed to recognize one so exalted and acted with grave disrespect! Please forgive me in your boundless mercy!"

"Forgive you? You insulted my Boss and even threatened my Boss's life."

"Pardon?"

The Demon Merchant, who had only been watching without understanding the situation, asked in surprise.

As far as I knew, there was a vast gap between a dungeon boss outside the top seven and a boss of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss.

To put it simply, bosses outside the top seven ranged from frontier lords to counts. The bosses of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss were no different from kings of entire nations, beyond even the reach of nobles.

There was a reason the top seven dungeons were called the Seven Palaces of the Abyss.

The Demon Merchant clutched their forehead as if a headache had just appeared.

"Goodness, what are we to do? Not even the top ten, but rank fourteen? This is a disaster...."

"What happens in a case like this?"

"Could you explain the situation in detail?"

Charlotte recounted everything that had happened without missing a single word.

Since she described it exactly as it had happened, the wolf Beastfolk couldn't object. As she continued, the merchant's complexion darkened.

"Considering that this is one of the New Seven Palaces of the Abyss, an amicable settlement may be possible... but the Keeper's side launched the first attack. You even said there was clear murderous intent. In that case, this has gone far beyond a simple dispute...."

The merchant trailed off and let out a long sigh.

Part of the Merchant Association's work was mediating conflicts and agreements between dungeons.

The current situation had become a serious headache for the merchant.

Sorry, but I didn't expect this either. I came here to recruit Balutak, and somehow this happened.

"If it were an ordinary monster, that would be one thing, but responsibility for a Keeper rests with their boss. The two of you must hold the Lionheart King accountable. I hope you can resolve this generously."

I couldn't let this end with just words. I wasn't going to throw away an opportunity like this.

After meeting the person in charge, whether an amicable settlement could be reached would depend on their attitude and compensation.

'And if it's the Lionheart King...'

Lionheart wasn't a particularly important boss, only appearing briefly in the early to middle parts of the game.

I racked my brain until I finally dredged up the memory.

Lionheart, the Lionheart King, was a boss who spent money like water. It was so bad that Lionheart adorned their entire body with gold and jeweled accessories.

As an aside, I remembered Lionheart because of the gold necklace.

People even joked that the gold necklace was the real body, not the boss.

'It's an insanely good item.'

Simply wearing it granted complete immunity to debuffs of A+ rank and below.

It was useless against stronger debuffs, of course, but sunlight was a B-rank debuff to undead.

If I got my hands on it, I wouldn't have to suffer under sunlight anymore, even without Charlotte.

"I-I'll guide you there."

The wolf Beastfolk stammered, but I held out my hand to stop them.

"Just tell us where it is. The three of us will go."

An image formed in my head.

I felt like I could squeeze even more out of this.

* * *

Lionheart, the rank fourteen dungeon boss, originally had a dungeon in the Demon Realm.

Had Lionheart not become greedy, they would probably still be there.

Lionheart's attempt to expand the dungeon too aggressively had been the problem.

The place where Lionheart dug tunnels under the pretext of expansion happened, through terrible luck, to be the dungeon of the rank twelve boss. Lionheart had made a huge mistake by failing to investigate the location properly.

The two dungeons became connected before either side understood what had happened.

All Lionheart's side had to do was fill in the hole to resolve the matter.

Yet the rank twelve boss ordered Lionheart to move the dungeon immediately, simply because they had been offended.

They even threatened to regard the unauthorized intrusion as a declaration of war if Lionheart refused, leaving no choice.

'Damn it. How was I supposed to know there was a dungeon there?'

How could their luck be this bad? Lionheart couldn't help resenting the world.

Lionheart had no idea where to move the dungeon.

They needed a place where the Dungeon Core could supply enough nourishment and where the terrain offered an advantage.

Somewhere the surrounding environment wouldn't weaken the dungeon, a place where it could endure naturally.

Whether Lionheart's investigation had been insufficient or such places truly no longer existed, there was nowhere like that left in the Demon Realm.

'Your Majesty! How about this place?'

Then Lionheart's adjutant pointed out a location in the human Empire.

At first, Lionheart roared without hearing another word.

The dungeons humans prioritized attacking were those rooted in their homeland.

Most dungeons within the Empire had formed naturally in the first place. Any boss would rather move to the Demon Realm if they could.

Unless it was an exceptional case like the Seven Palaces of the Abyss, no one would willingly establish a base in the Empire.

'Your Majesty, listen. This is a tropical rainforest at the Empire's southernmost edge. I made inquiries, and I heard that humans have barely set foot there recently. And if it's a forest, isn't a forest our home ground as Beastfolk?'

The more Lionheart listened, the more tempting the proposal sounded.

A tropical rainforest untouched by humans. The favorable combination of Beastfolk and forest. If it was at the southernmost edge, the climate would suit the Beastfolk as well.

The only other thing to consider was nourishment for the Dungeon Core.

If the site was also suitable for a dungeon, it would be worth acting immediately.

'Have you looked into the forest's natural ecosystem? Natives aside, there could be Beast tribes, couldn't there?'

"Beasts" referred to wild monsters.

For a dungeon settled in a forest, it was only natural to account for possible invasions by Beasts.

They could be dangerous, but they could also be used as food. Highly intelligent Beasts could even be trained.

'We can make use of the Beasts too. Most of them are Insects, and they're quite intelligent. If we use them properly, we should be able to complete construction as quickly as possible without the Merchant Association's help.'

'Make use of them?'

Insects could lift ten times their own body weight.

They were also skilled at digging tunnels, though not as skilled as kobolds.

Most Insects lived by digging underground tunnels like ant nests in the first place.

'Of course, despite their intelligence, their instincts are extremely strong. Every individual is fiercely independent, aggressive, and lacks any sense of obedience. It's in their nature. But I don't think that will be a problem at all.'

No one would complain if Lionheart worked the Insects to the bone.

If used well, they would surely become an efficient labor force capable of replacing the Merchant Association.

In the end, Lionheart selected that forest as the site for the dungeon, and when they actually came to see it, it was truly an incredible location.

Lionheart took great pride in both the adjutant's achievement and their own choice.

'This time, I'll build a tower rather than a labyrinth.'

Thinking about labyrinths made Lionheart feel as though their PTSD from that time might flare up.

That was why the new dungeon took the form of a tower built upward.

Slurp.

At the very top of the dungeon, Lionheart sipped tea and reflected on the past.

At the same time, Lionheart gazed out the window, and a satisfied smile naturally formed.

"I am satisfied."

Countless Insects were finishing the final work under the Beastfolk's instructions.

Lionheart had subdued the Insects, who had been as stubborn as steel cables, without suffering major losses.

Now Lionheart had gained useful slaves, and the dungeon was nearing completion.

Because the dungeon had been relocated, the number branded in Lionheart's mind, their current rank, had fallen from fourteen to sixteen.

Even so, Lionheart's face was covered in smiles.

"A change in rank is only a matter of time."

This place was perfect for a dungeon.

The Dungeon Core used the forest's natural environment itself as nourishment, while the forest, the home ground of Lionheart's Beastfolk subordinates, stretched out like an ocean.

Better yet, Lionheart could use Insects to construct and rebuild the dungeon without the Merchant Association's help.

The dungeon in the Demon Realm had long since faded from Lionheart's memory.

"Rankings...."

A number was branded into the minds of all bosses.

It inspired two opposing emotions. It was a source of shame for bosses, but also a source of pride.

Rank sixteen had become an indelible humiliation for Lionheart.

Still, just as the ground hardened after rain, this too was no more than a trial before success.

Once the dungeon was complete, Lionheart intended to turn their ambitions toward the entire forest.

What if Lionheart made this forest into a kingdom before long?

The ruler of a nation. Beyond that...

"Perhaps even the Seven Palaces of the Abyss won't be impossible."

Dungeons beyond all standards, synonymous with bottomless labyrinths.

The Seven Palaces of the Abyss, boasting a history unchanged for a thousand years, were Lionheart's ultimate goal.

If everything went well, Lionheart could even aim for a seat among the Seven Palaces of the Abyss.

To think Lionheart would become the boss of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss, feared by the Empire and a source of anxiety for the Demon Realm. The thought alone made the corners of their mouth rise.

If Lionheart grew even greedier, perhaps they could surpass the Seven Palaces of the Abyss and become the Lord of the Five Fingers.

Then surpass the Lord of the Five Fingers and even reach Saṃghāta.

Of course, becoming one of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss would already fulfill all of Lionheart's wishes, but dreams were endless by nature.

Knock, knock.

The knock interrupted Lionheart's happy thoughts.

"Enter."

The one who appeared through the open door was not a Beastfolk.

Lionheart's eyes widened.

"...A Demon Merchant?"

"Have you been well, Your Majesty?"

The Demon Merchant bowed at a perfect right angle.

It was unusual for someone from the Merchant Association to arrive so suddenly without sending word.

Before asking, Lionheart figured out the merchant's purpose. One possibility came to mind immediately.

'Have those money-grubbing bastards taken notice of my dungeon?'

Lionheart had heard news about the New Seven Palaces of the Abyss from a Beastfolk merchant not long ago.

The Merchant Association was apparently desperate to strengthen its relationship with the Seven Palaces of the Abyss.

If that was the case, the Merchant Association would have made contact first, and the current situation fit perfectly.

"Fine. Let's hear why you've come."

"As it happens, a distinguished person wishes to see Your Majesty."

Lionheart's guess had been right. If it was a distinguished person, it was probably some Merchant Association executive.

At the same time, disgust toward the merchant welled up inside Lionheart.

They ignored me completely when I clashed with rank twelve, but now that it looked like I might grow stronger, this is how they act?

"You are truly shameless. You golden insects only care about filling your own pockets."

"Your Majesty. What are you─"

"Shut your mouth. Be silent before me, then go tell that distinguished person. No matter what you do, this Lionheart King won't so much as blink."

The merchant's expression was so shocked it could have served as a perfect example of disbelief.

Lionheart had landed a tremendous blow on that deceitful bastard. They laughed aloud in satisfaction.

"Your Majesty, please calm down and hear me out first."

"I told you to shut up. Must I tear that mouth apart myself before you understand?"

The merchant tried to speak again, then closed their mouth, bowed, and left.

When they returned, they had brought along a Death Knight and a human.

The combination was so bizarre that Lionheart blinked, then looked again.

"What is this? Why has the Merchant Association brought a human?"

"The Merchant Association? I don't know what you mean, but we're not from the Merchant Association."

The human woman answered calmly, as though she wasn't frightened at all.

A human should have trembled before the king of the Beastfolk, but this attitude alone wounded Lionheart's pride.

Especially when she looked like such an insignificant human.

"...Fine. Are you the distinguished person who wishes to see me?"

"Not me. This person is."

The human pointed to the Death Knight beside her with both hands.

"To introduce this person─"

"Kehat!"

A laugh burst out before Lionheart could stop it, cutting her off.

"A mere Death Knight is a distinguished person? You truly are a foolish human. No matter how highly you wish to introduce your master, you must consider their standing compared to the other party."

"...."

"Does this Death Knight look like someone worthy of respect before me? That thing is nothing but a useless undead."

"Why is everyone so desperate to keep talking when they should shut up?"

The human muttered as if complaining.

Before the enraged Lionheart could speak, the human beat them to it.

"It seems you haven't heard about the New Seven Palaces of the Abyss. Even though a rank fourteen dungeon should be well informed about such things."

"...The Seven Palaces of the Abyss?"

Lionheart had been deeply interested in the New Seven Palaces of the Abyss.

Because of that, Lionheart had obtained information through the Merchant Association and learned a few things.

The Merchant Association had contacted it immediately after its birth. It had killed Balm Monk, the Hero of Faith. Even the rank six boss Rose Sha had taken an interest in it.

Lionheart had also heard that its boss was undead.

If the boss of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss was undead, Lionheart naturally assumed it would be a high-ranking Lich.

"...."

Now that Lionheart looked again, the merchant's uneasy gaze wasn't directed at them.

For some reason, the merchant was watching the Death Knight's reaction.

"...No way."

The boss of the New Seven Palaces of the Abyss was undead. Death Knights were undead as well.

When Lionheart considered their behavior alongside what the human had just said...

Only then did Lionheart realize something was wrong, but it was already too late.

"You said I was a useless undead."

Then the Death Knight pulled out the chair opposite Lionheart and sat down.

The Death Knight fixed Lionheart with an unreadable blue gaze.

"It seems a boss of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss is no more than that before you."

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried