Chapter 32 : The Wolf from the West

Chirp chirp.

After Libertas left the dungeon, her dungeon greeted a silence even quieter than the previous peace.

Adventurers did come occasionally, but in a situation without active 'advertising', those who found the dungeon were drifters or wanderers, and they were at a level that Mire and the remaining forces could handle.

So the 'unexpected event' that someone, or some people, wanted would absolutely not happen.

"Damn it…"

This was so frustrating for Maria.

Although she had reluctantly accepted the contract because of Daniel, who accepted the binding for her sake, naturally this didn't make her feel any goodwill towards Libertas.

From the beginning, the conditions Libertas imposed on her were only two:

['Do your best to live as much as you can and 'Don't do anything that would interfere with the dungeon's activities.' If you keep these two, I won't care what else you do.']

In other words, she wouldn't say anything if Maria left for survival when an accident occurred in the dungeon, and would even allow escape in some cases.

'If I just don't interfere, or if my or Daniel's feelings move away from each other and become useless… That's probably it. Though how can I be sure of that monster's thoughts.'

Of course, escape during normal times is not allowed.

As long as there's a promise with Daniel, it would make the dungeon's manpower turn outward to retrieve Maria.

Because of this, Maria was in a situation where she couldn't do anything now. But that didn't mean she really wasn't doing anything.

The first was self-training done every day to prevent her body from rusting, and…

"What on earth am I doing…"

Cleaning inside the dungeon.

Libertas had ordered Maria to do it, saying she didn't intend to make Maria an idle person who did nothing.

'Why am I wearing these clothes, why am I doing this kind of work…'

She ended up doing work she had hardly ever done in her life, wearing a maid outfit obtained from who knows where.

Of course, the places that needed cleaning in the dungeon weren't the traps or corridors mainly visited by adventurers, but the rooms where summons usually wait or Libertas's living spaces.

Even then, she couldn't touch the Dungeon Lord's private spaces or the room with the core, and material warehouses etc., citing lack of trust, so in reality the spaces Maria was in charge of were just the rooms of the summons, but…

"This is too wide even if it's wide…!"

Nevertheless, it was a space wide enough to manage alone.

This dungeon provided individual rooms to summons as soon as intelligence or even fragments of it were discovered in them.

Even if not single rooms, at least 4-person rooms to a maximum of 2-person rooms.

"What's the point of rooms for skeletons. And why does this place get so dirty every day."

Currently, about 30 individuals had received rooms in this way in this dungeon.

Moreover, most of the skeletons who were thieves in life often had no concept of tidiness even after gaining intelligence, so somehow, something would come out every day even if they were cleaned daily.

This was indeed a difficult level to manage alone every day.

Just that those who assigned this work didn't realize it.

Although the area to clean had become a bit smaller now that Libertas had left, it was still precious time for her, who invested all her spare time in personal training.

She couldn't choose the option of just abandoning this work and focusing only on self-training either.

It was because of the proposal Libertas had made to her.

[I'll give Daniel physical compensation in proportion to what you do. You mustn't forget that now his only way to become stronger depends on me and the dungeon. Maria.]

Words engraved while lifting her chin as she knelt, facing her alone.

Maria, as a mercenary, knew very well that Daniel, who would be working for Libertas's dungeon from outside, could be in danger at any time, and that strength was directly linked to survival.

So she had to definitely handle the work assigned to her.

Despite knowing the other party's intentions, to the best of her ability, perfectly.

'It's clearly meant to prevent me from thinking of other things.'

Maria's guess wasn't wrong. In fact, that was Libertas's intention in making her work.

Sometimes an appropriate level of labor tends to weaken the intensity of emotions.

Hatred and resentment are like cancer cells that can infinitely grow themselves if there's proper fuel. Usually, labor tends to provide an immune system that kills these cancer cells.

'I'll never be broken by something like this…'

Of course, only to a certain extent.

Maria's hatred wasn't small enough to die from this level of labor.

The time for Maria to recall her resentment, who focused on the work in front of her every day, was limited to when she woke up in the morning to wash, before going to sleep, and during the self-training time she forcibly made, but.

Nevertheless, that was enough.

'Never.'

Her hatred grew as time passed. Slowly enough not to break her.

-Clatter.

"It's okay. You can't do anything now anyway."

And that was actually what Libertas wanted.

-Tack.

"Now, her driving force to pursue survival is only hatred except for Daniel. Even if that hatred ends up breaking her mind…"

What's sustaining Maria's life now is Daniel's will and emotions, and the hatred and resentment gained from her sister's death.

Other people's emotions and her own negative emotions.

"Since I made a promise, I should adjust appropriately so she doesn't break, shouldn't I?"

"Promises are important…"

"That's right. Xue."

This was far from enough to sustain a person, but having both, even if both were insufficient, was much more stable than breaking one of them.

If unfortunately, as the saying goes 'distance makes the heart grow fonder', her feelings for Daniel cool, that hatred could keep Maria's breath attached until it gains another support.

Of course, when that time comes, Libertas would have to reconsider Maria's usefulness.

-Clatter.

"As you say, she'll try to stab me someday. … Shouldn't I face her properly once then?"

-Tack!

"If that happens… I won't let it go…"

Evangeline and Lin Xue expressing anger while grinding their teeth.

Looking at the two of them, Libertas smiled a smile that seemed harmless at first glance. A face that seemed to have no danger at all, combined with her delicate impression.

"Of course, I'm not saying I'll just get hit or die. Evangeline. Xue. I wouldn't do that to you guys."

As she said, she wasn't someone who would choose to lose everything for the sake of those she cherishes as much as she had already once abandoned 'everything' with her own hands.

However, as such a person, she felt responsibility as an intelligent being who had taken away someone else's 'everything'.

"That's just like manners. No one risks their life for manners. Don't worry."

So, Libertas was expecting Maria to stand up properly.

Whether as a result Maria completely submits to her, or just goes on to live a new life.

'People steeped in resentment are easy to control. Though to a much lesser degree, like my… 'former' mother.'

Of course, all situations should unfold under her control.

She had no intention of causing any immeasurable threats that would appear the moment they escaped her control.

'Whatever it is, continuous experiences of feeling positive emotions are good for diluting unconditional hatred. …Just like I did. I wonder how long you can maintain those feelings towards me.'

The desire can cover the hatred of loss for achievement for what one now holds in hand.

What's currently chipping away at the 'maximum' of Maria's hatred is the small sense of achievement in helping Daniel. And Libertas planned to gradually increase the things Maria could do in this way.

'Do all other Dungeon Lords do this too? Giving rooms to their summons? There's no way. Those monsters.'

However, what Libertas couldn't know here was that as Maria got to know her more, she was defining her as something 'different' from the existing monsters.

No one knew what kind of situation this would bring about.

Not even Maria herself.

* * *

It took only three days to reach the camp of the Copzerin subjugation army, the destination after leaving the dungeon.

At the foot of the mountain where the dungeon was said to be, an army that had departed from Copzerin had already formed an encampment, and the subjugation force inside was quite busy.

"Hmph… lowly ones."

"Excuse me, but could you tell me where the camp I belong to is…?"

"You mercenaries over there, stop drinking and return to your designated tents! We need to organize the units!"

To be precise, it should be said that they were mercilessly showing signs of a hastily assembled force.

Soldiers with soldiers, adventurers with adventurers, and mercenaries with mercenaries.

An unintegrated army was spread out before my eyes.

'Even the army soldiers aren't unified at all.'

Even the knights and soldiers who clearly seemed to be regular troops were gathered in their own groups with flags bearing the symbols of their territories raised high, making one wonder how this army could have been assembled.

In fact, I had guessed that this kind of army appearance would inevitably be the average for this continent, this era.

'It can't be helped since even the regular army is the king's private army in this era.'

There were many dungeons in this world, and still are. Moreover, no one knew where new ones might appear.

So the armies of all lords and kings had to be private armies, not armies belonging to the state.

'Strength is essential to protect territories.'

Moreover, even the composition of the army uses quite a lot of people from adventurer or mercenary backgrounds rather than people originally trained as professional soldiers or conscripts, focusing much more on individual capabilities than that of the Middle Ages…

In other words, it's an army where only equipment and emblems are unified.

In the end, the state in this world can only be an alliance of lords with matching directions, the king is just a representative of lords, and the army is just a union of private armies.

Perhaps because of this, they seem to value the loyalty shown by knights or vassals as an even greater virtue, but that alone can't stitch together these fragmented armies.

"Where are you from… Ah, did you come from Solemio?"

As I was thinking about the military system of this era while looking at the appearance of the army, after quite some time, a man approached from the central tent.

He was a man with a muscular, sturdy build wearing a knight's appearance with a sword at his waist, but at the same time holding documents and a pen in his hand, looking strangely familiar despite being an unsuitable combination.

He also had a very tired impression.

"Are you the administrator?"

"Yes, that's right. I'm Knight Elias. Miss."

"But your armor…"

"Ah, I'm a knight and an administrator. We're short on manpower for administration."

I thought so.

It seems like even dispatching an army like this is usually not done, so they probably wouldn't have had the capacity to dispatch an administrator to a hastily assembled army additionally.

Perhaps because of this, the knight's eyes lit up when he saw the documents Talhan handed to him.

It was the paperwork I had organized about the supplies.

"This… is incredibly well organized. Did you do this, Miss?"

"No. The person I serve…"

"Ah, I see you're not the head of the merchant group."

"Yes. I'm the escort."

"I see. I was wondering why you were dressed as a warrior."

"Do you have business with me?"

The assassin's outfit didn't look much different from a simple warrior at a glance, so his question was natural.

At that moment, when I took off my hood to reveal my appearance, the administrative knight's gaze moved from Talhan to me.

"Then, this person is…"

"Yes. This is Miss Angelita whom I serve."

"What an… incredible beauty. It's an honor to meet you, Miss."

"Nice to meet you, Sir."

The knight scratched his cheek with his fingertip and looked troubled for a moment. He soon approached me with a look of determination and spoke.

"Excuse me for being so forward, but may I make a proposal? No, it would be better to see it as a request for help."

"Alright. Let's hear it first."

When I nodded favorably, the knight's expression brightened even more and finally made his proposal to me.

"I was hoping you could help with the administrative work of our Copzerin army. As you can see, our processing is very busy right now. Ah, of course, you'll have to be under control so you can't access confidential information, but…"

"Hmm… If you provide appropriate compensation, I don't mind."

"Really? Thank you."

After pretending to think briefly and answering immediately, the knight bowed with a brightly lit face. I also bowed in return, and the knight quickly left saying he would bring the contract.

'As planned.'

And so I became affiliated with the subjugation army's supply corps.

Now there were two paths before me—paths I just had to choose according to the situation.

Either way, it wouldn't be too difficult.