WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Mordor
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Mistaken as the Dungeon Boss Monster ◈
Chapter 47: Why Are You Acting Like That?
──────
The first thing I needed to address before the looming danger was our existing defenses.
More specifically, I needed to keep an eye on the officers’ growth and boost their morale.
As long as I threw prey at Balutak and let them gain experience, they’d level up on their own.
Charlotte and Estigel would handle learning magic themselves now that they had the Necronomicon.
‘...So I have nothing to do?’
Make way for the figurehead boss.
Knock, knock.
There wasn’t much I could help with, but I headed to the Adjutant’s Room anyway.
It wasn’t like the two of them would be slacking off. I just wanted to check on their progress.
Estigel poked her head through the open door.
My gaze met her bright, wide eyes.
“Gasp. Boss, you’re here!”
Crash, bang!
A suspicious commotion came from inside.
Once it died down, Charlotte hurried over and bowed. Urk, all while pressing down on the back of Estigel’s head with one hand.
“I greet my Lord.”
“I came to see your progress.”
“Of course. Please, come in.”
As if out of habit, Charlotte politely gestured inside.
I had only planned to check their levels and leave.
Still, I had nothing else to do, so I stepped into the Adjutant’s Room.
[Lv. 47]
Estigel had been level 44 at the Assembly.
Not much time had passed since then, yet she had already gained three levels.
Charlotte’s teaching played a part, but Estigel had originally been a boss with high potential, so it was only natural.
“You’ve grown.”
“...Whoa. You can tell?”
Estigel parted her lips slightly in surprise.
“Oh, right. I’m ranked 70th now.”
She proudly thumped her chest.
Even the way she acted reminded me of a smaller Isabella.
“Congratulations.”
“Hmph, ahem!”
Even Estigel’s steps became dignified, like a soldier marching in formation.
As I followed her farther in, I spotted the Necronomicon and a dead mouse on the table.
It looked like she had been learning Necromancy.
“Watch closely.”
Estigel stretched out her hand toward the mouse.
Her tightly pursed lips and wide eyes made her look incredibly serious. Her childlike appearance still made her seem a little clumsy, though.
An ominous energy slowly seeped from Estigel’s fingertips.
When it reached the mouse, its flesh gradually rotted away, exposing bone.
The mouse, now undead, suddenly sprang to its feet.
“Squeak!”
“Ta-da!”
Estigel pointed at the mouse with both hands as if she were showing off a magic trick.
Hmm. It felt like I was watching my young relative put on a little performance.
I felt less proud than I did charmed.
“Well done.”
“Hehe. I can do this too.”
Whoosh!
The mouse’s body floated into the air.
It was telekinesis magic, but since the target was a mouse, it wasn’t especially impressive.
Maybe Estigel considered the success itself meaningful.
“The Adjutant taught me this too. It was called telekinesis magic, I think? Anyway, that!”
“Mm.”
“I’m still lacking, but I’ll become more and more useful. One day, I’ll be worthy of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss!”
Behind her bright smile, I caught traces of impatience and anxiety.
She had shown me two spells in a row. Was she doing this because she was afraid I might abandon her?
If I didn’t react, I’d only make her more anxious.
“You’re growing quickly. I didn’t expect you to improve this much.”
“Hehe...”
Estigel smiled innocently.
Would I abandon you just because you weren’t useful? Once I grow attached to someone, I stick with them to the end.
“Boss.”
Charlotte, who had only been watching from the side, finally spoke.
My gaze immediately went not to her face, but to the number above her head.
[Lv. 82]
She had been level 81 until recently, yet she had already gone up again.
As expected of a Keeper from the Tenfold Abyss, a true newbie crusher.
As her boss, I was overwhelmed with emotion.
‘At this rate, she’ll break through level 90 in no time.’
Time would get her to level 90, and Charlotte was now a Magic Human on top of having the Necronomicon.
Judging by her growth, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say she might someday reach nearly the level of an Abyssal Palace boss.
‘...But why did she call me?’
Even though we were making eye contact, she just stood there silently.
Then the ground stirred, and undead burst from beneath it.
There looked to be around twenty of them. Was this why she had called me?
“...”
“...”
Charlotte continued staring at me without saying anything.
There seemed to be some hidden meaning in her eyes.
But I wouldn’t know unless she said something. What was I supposed to do?
Whoosh!
In an instant, the undead floated into the air.
Even then, Charlotte only stared at me.
“...”
“...”
Was she jealous of Estigel?
Did she want praise because she had done better?
“Well done.”
“Thank you.”
She answered as if she had been waiting for it, so that was one hundred percent it.
I hadn’t expected it, but she had a childish side too.
At that moment, magic shot from Charlotte’s fingertips.
The faint magic energy gradually thickened before forming a raging snowstorm.
Crackle! Lightning mixed into the snowstorm, and the wide-area spell seized control of the surroundings.
Yet it cleverly avoided us.
“Wow...”
Honestly, I wanted to stare in amazement just like Estigel.
Not only had Charlotte cast the eighth-circle spell, Blizzard Storm, with ease, but she was also freely controlling every strand of magic energy.
That wasn’t even a simple eighth-circle spell. It was a dual-element spell.
It was a feat that would have been impossible without both extraordinary talent and instinct.
Charlotte gathered her magic and stared at me intently.
If I had to describe my impression, I was simply speechless.
If not for the look in her eyes urging me to praise her, I would have stood there blankly for a while.
“That’s incredible.”
The corners of Charlotte’s lips twitched, if only faintly.
Nothing else visibly changed, but the green of her level rapidly shifted to pink.
A pink so deep it had passed the limit.
Ah. Another bone-crazy Witch.
* * *
I had a lot to think about while preparing for Cecilia, who could come at any time.
If she suddenly showed up without warning like Wilhelm, I’d die before I could even prepare.
Of course, they had lost two Heroes, so it was obvious they would make a fully prepared attempt to raid us.
At least nothing should happen until Carleon’s Ninth Legion arrived.
“Intruders have arrived.”
“Gasp!”
“Kirik?”
...Damn it.
Charlotte gathered everyone on the tenth floor and got straight to the point.
After reaching into her robe, Charlotte pulled out a crystal ball.
The crystal ball that served as the dungeon’s security device was vibrating, and unease crept down my spine.
I had never expected Cecilia to come so soon.
It might not have been her, but my anxiety only made me think of the worst possibility.
“Everyone, please look at the crystal ball.”
The moment she finished speaking, Balutak and Estigel shoved their heads forward.
They blocked my view.
“Kirik!”
Balutak suddenly jumped in surprise.
Then they spread their wings and began heading upstairs.
How many intruders could there be?
After watching Balutak curiously, I shifted my gaze as well.
The intruders visible through the crystal ball numbered a little over ten. They were charging through without even forming ranks.
Every one of them moved in perfect coordination, ignoring traps as they recklessly pushed forward.
Rather than their silhouettes in the darkness, my attention was drawn to their eyes.
Every single one of them had glowing red eyes.
...Vampires?
“Charlotte. They aren’t intruders, are they?”
“I’m sorry. I wanted to surprise you.”
That was a little unexpected. Had she always been this kind of person?
The more I got to know Charlotte, the more unexpectedly human she seemed.
Whew. Before I could feel glad to see them, I first had to recover from the fright.
To be honest, I thought today was the day I would die.
“Why? Who are they?”
Estigel, the only one who didn’t know, looked around.
“It’s Isabella, a Vampire. She’s one of the dungeon’s original members I told you about before.”
“Ah!”
It looked like Estigel had heard about her before.
I hadn’t expected her to suddenly visit, but I was happy to see her either way.
I climbed the stairs with light steps, and the other two trailed behind me.
I was eager to catch up and hear how she had been doing.
Had I grown that attached to her without realizing it? We hadn’t even been apart that long, yet I was this happy to see her.
Then again, compared to Balutak, who had rushed out to greet her, my reaction was only natural.
By the time I reached the entrance to the fourth floor, dozens of pairs of glowing eyes appeared beyond the darkness.
I could also hear Balutak chirping, “Kirik, kirik.”
“Boss!”
The moment our eyes met, Isabella gracefully leaped from the front of the group.
In a single bound, she stood right in front of me.
“I missed you! How have you been?”
“Kirik. Isabella says she missed the Great Chieftain too.”
For some reason, Balutak’s flapping wings got on my nerves.
As I subtly pushed them aside, Charlotte spoke first.
“It has been a while. Have you been well?”
“Yes, yes! I’ve been doing well! You’re the same as ever, Adjutant! I missed everyone so much, you know? Hmm? Ah, but who’s this?”
“N-Nice to meet you...”
Estigel bowed deeply, and Charlotte pointed to her.
“This is Estigel. She is a new member of Faith’s Tomb.”
“Ooh... So maybe she filled the place I left behind?”
While the three of them chatted like girls, I carefully observed Isabella.
There was something different about her, and she seemed slightly taller too.
More than her appearance, it felt like she had developed a distinctive aura. Was that just my imagination?
“Boss? Didn’t you miss me?”
Isabella covered her mouth and giggled.
No matter how I looked at her, the air about her had definitely changed.
I just couldn’t put my finger on exactly how.
After staring only at her appearance, I finally looked above her head.
[Lv. 88]
...What?
The deep green color didn’t matter.
Only the number was etched into my mind.
For a moment, I thought I’d misread it, but her level remained 88.
It was hard to believe even while looking at it. Based on numbers alone, she was on the level of Carleon, the mid-boss of the Old Castle.
Not Balutak or Charlotte, but Isabella.
“You aren’t worried I’ll suck your blood again, are you? I’m not that kind of mosquito anymore.”
You couldn’t achieve that kind of growth through training.
Then how?
“...Don’t tell me.”
One possibility and the timing lined up in my mind.
It was hard to believe, but there was no other explanation.
Isabella blinked when our eyes met, then smiled brightly.
“As expected of you, Boss. You knew right away.”
With one hand over her chest, Isabella bowed.
The smooth, disciplined movement was nothing like the clumsy Isabella I remembered.
“Let me introduce myself properly. I’m Isabella, ranked eighth among the 72 Dungeons.”
She proudly raised the V sign she made with her fingers.
“I’m the Vampire who came back to repay your kindness!”
Footnotes:
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
