After that day, Valdes, who took up the position of the propaganda officer for the territory, set about pushing two projects forward simultaneously. The first was the production of a military propaganda film, and the second was creating an autobiography with me as the main character. I was not aware, but it seemed that stories about Valdes had circulated among our vassals for quite some time. Thanks to this, the appointment process went smoothly without any fuss, and the vassals did not raise any objections. In fact, long-serving vassals like Obren and Abila openly expressed their support.
The governance of the territory proceeded as smoothly as a ship sailing with favorable winds.
July 5, early morning.
Creak! I had come to my office early, and before the sun had even risen, I unfolded the completed map that I had finalized only the night before. It was a map related to the underground dungeon, the hideout of the demon army, which I had set as our first target with the promising young talents.
"It's definitely complex," I murmured.
"Wow! How did you get in here?" I startled at the sudden voice from behind me. It was Chloe. Even though I was pretty good at sensing others, I hadn’t caught even a whiff of her presence. It seemed her unique ability, Absolute Stealth, had come into play. Absolute Stealth allowed her to completely hide her aura.
My startled reaction seemed to surprise her as well, as she responded with a slightly flustered expression. "The door was open."
"Was it? Did you knock before coming in?" I asked.
"Yes."
"But you left out the part where I didn’t hear it, right?"
She nodded. True to her nature, Chloe spoke very little. In the past, her silence was quite frustrating, but now I found it oddly comforting, knowing it was simply part of who she was.
"I'm going to hold a briefing later, so do we really need to look at it now?" I asked.
"It wouldn’t hurt to see it in advance," she replied thoughtfully.
Her reasoning was sound, and I quickly agreed. It was a good opportunity to explain the details while also structuring the briefing content in my mind, ensuring my own understanding was clear.
"The hideout of the demon army is essentially a lair formed by those who worship demons gathering underground. It’s darker and gloomier than the tomb of Mahart the Third that we visited before."
"Yes," she replied, ending her reaction with just that one word.
No, don’t get pulled into this atmosphere! I continued explaining at my own pace.
"It originally wasn’t a dungeon. In other words, it was just a hideout for the corrupted. However, many altars were built inside the hideout, and sacrifices began to take place, leading to the transformation into a dungeon."
"It became a dungeon," Chloe concluded.
"Exactly! As the demons took root here, it became a dungeon that steadily produces monsters tainted with evil."
"I’ve heard the monsters there are very strong."
"Yeah, their durability is actually quite low. To exaggerate a bit, if you swing your sword, you could slice through them like tofu. But on the other hand, they possess tremendous attack power. Most importantly, they are in a state where the fear of death has been completely suppressed."
"The enemies are monsters stained by demons. So, I wonder if holy powers would have no effect."
Chloe offered her opinion, and this was a thought shared by many hunters. Responding with holy power to demons was a predictable tactic that didn’t leave room for doubt. However, this notion had been the cause of many hunters losing their lives in their attempts to conquer the hideout of the demon army.
"No, you must not rely on holy power!" I said firmly.
"Can you explain why?"
"If you arm yourself with holy power, it's true that the damage you inflict on the monsters will double. But the damage you take from them will also double."
"…Really?"
"Why would I lie here?"
Chloe looked unconvinced. This was the concept of mutual strengths and weaknesses that appeared in the game "Paradiso." Both sides would have strengths and weaknesses toward one another. Typically, the one who strikes first would gain the upper hand and inflict damage due to the interaction. The concept of compatibility in "Paradiso" was common knowledge among all users. However, reality was different. Most people, if not all, assumed that holy powers held an advantage over demons and did not consider the opposite.
Of course, the fact that there weren’t many top-tier dark mages who could wield demonic powers freely contributed to this misunderstanding.
"Don’t counter with holy powers. The best strategy is to tackle it head-on without reinforcement."
"…."
Chloe, who generally agreed with me on most things, tilted her head in puzzlement. This sort of prejudice was the problem. Many hunters, like her, couldn’t let go of their fixed notions about holy powers, leading to greater losses.
If they had wrapped themselves in holy powers or entered the dungeon receiving every possible holy buff, the way to the underworld would surely have opened up faster.
"I have the conquest plan in my mind, so don’t worry too much. Chloe, just focus on how to maximize your abilities."
"Is that really enough?"
"Well, what more could be better?"
I chuckled. If she wanted to be of help, she could say so directly. She could just ask to take on a mission. Yet, she made an effort to keep her words to a minimum, contemplating twice or even thrice before speaking to me. I wasn’t quite sure why.
‘Let’s see…’ I again checked on Chloe’s status, who had been silently growing while sharing a training regimen with Ella.
[Chloe – Lv. 83]
[Strength: 63]
[Stamina: 67]
[Mana: 13]
[Wisdom: 17]
[Agility: 501]
[Charm: 21]
[Physical Defense: 35]
[Magical Defense: 12]
[Special Trait: Absolute Stealth SS / Disguise S / Weakness Analysis B]
[General Traits: Favor, Confusion, Determination]
[Holds the Artifact ‘Tranquilus’ military boots.]
‘What’s this confusing general traits?’ I thought. Determination might be understandable due to her dedication to training, but favor and confusion? Could it mean that someone she has feelings for is causing her inner turmoil?
I had my suspicions, but I had no idea who that someone was. Thinking back, the training grounds where Chloe and I practiced often saw the Aggressio royal guards training as well. Since there were quite a few handsome guards among them, she might’ve developed feelings for one of them. Recently, when Ella accepted an offer to officially serve as a training instructor for the royal guards, she often returned to the training grounds, where Chloe would see these handsome faces.
Although Ella continued to take on a mentorship role for Chloe, she had reduced her teachings compared to before. Previously, during a candid drinking session with me, she mentioned that there was no longer anything left to teach Chloe. This was understandable since Ella was more adept at defensive techniques and was a tank type of swordsman.
However, for a character like Chloe, who was an assassin type focusing on attacks, there were fewer areas in which to teach her. Thus, the opportunities for Ella and Chloe to meet had drastically reduced. I’d heard their contract would completely end next month. It seemed puzzling why they would form a contract in the first place, but it was clear that both kept their personal and professional lives distinct.
‘With Absolute Stealth SS and Disguise S, if I let my guard down, my own life might be at risk.’ I reflexively rubbed the back of my neck at the chill that coursed through me. At her current skill level, standard magicians below Class 2 would be assassinated without ever realizing it.
‘Moreover, she has an artifact I’ve never seen before. Did a gray elf secretly give it to her? Or had she just been hiding it until now?’ I was taken aback when I saw the Tranquilus military boots listed among her artifacts. Tranquilus was Chloe’s elder brother, the eldest son among Chloe's six siblings, who were two boys and four girls.
Both of her older brothers would die in the war against the Black Orcs, leading to Chloe ascending to the throne as queen. I knew that the relationship between siblings was quite good, so it seemed Tranquilus had passed his military boots down to her.
‘I wonder if he is as handsome as they all say. It’s said that even other men are captivated by his looks.’ I had only heard stories related to him in "Paradiso" but had never seen his actual face. So, naturally, I was curious about what he looked like. I honestly wanted to compare it. Was he better looking than me?
Anyway, seeing Chloe’s growth made me feel good. I planned to find the right time soon and make a formal request to her. Although she was currently a guest at my territory with Ella, I wanted to fully accept her as one of my own.
‘The world is vast, many talented people exist, and there are so many I want to have by my side.’ I found myself happily contemplating this. In this world, despite how much one gathers, it always feels lacking in three things, doesn’t it? Money, power! And talented individuals.
A little later.
Everyone gathered in the annex prepared on the east side of the lord's estate. The purpose was to hold a detailed briefing about the dungeon, the hideout of the demon army, and the participants included Mia, Lena, Isabel, Hayes, Chloe, Lakis, and me, totaling seven individuals.
The briefing proceeded swiftly yet thoroughly. I believed all of them had the stats necessary to conquer the hideout of the demon army. However, the one I worried about the most was Mia. Being thirteen this year, I was concerned about how well she would adapt to the grisly smell of blood and rotting corpses on the battlefield.
"Don’t worry, my lord! I've been preparing my courage by camping alone in the graveyard for the past month!" Mia declared boldly.
Her statement indicated that my concerns were unfounded. Apparently, she had engaged in extreme training alone in the graveyard without informing me. The graveyards in this world were worlds apart from what I imagined in my past life. Not every corpse was neatly tucked into a coffin; many were simply covered with mounds of dirt.
Whenever heavy rains hit, it was common for parts of bodies like hands, feet, or heads to be exposed from the washed-away dirt. The thought of Mia spending long nights in a place like that made me feel a chill, even though I wasn't the one directly involved.
At that moment, Isabel raised her hand, having listened quietly throughout the briefing.
"My lord, I have a question."
Perhaps because we were in a group, she showed more respect than when it was just the two of us.
"Feel free to ask. Again, pre-questions are welcome since there won’t be time for Q&A inside the dungeon."
"I've heard that the hideout of the demon army is a dungeon that even forty A-grade hunters couldn't conquer. Can we really manage it with just the seven of us?"
Isabel, ever sharp, posed a key question. It was a good question! It was exactly what I had been waiting to hear. Why? Because she was asking about a strategy that had been imprinted in my mind from past experiences.
To be continued...