LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 59
Chapter 59: Leon
Leon seemed to know I was the master of the dungeon.
In this world, being a dungeon master doesn’t necessarily equate to being a demon. Necromancers, alchemists, and even great sorcerers who wish to protect their realms often manage dungeons.
Even the nobles of fallen kingdoms have been known to grow their power in secret dungeons.
So, Leon has yet to discover my demonic nature.
‘It’s not exactly a good situation, but…’
Reluctantly, I must admit… the artifact’s function is real, as confirmed by Amon.
Having answered, denying it would be ludicrous.
‘But why is he curious about such things?’
If he’s anything like Romwell, knowing I possess a dungeon won’t lead him to persecute me.
After all, such individuals have their own skeletons in the closet.
“Are you after my dungeon core?”
“Dungeon core? Ah… I have no interest in that. You know, this artifact proves the intent behind my questions.”
Indeed… his intent was merely…
“Curiosity. I was just wondering.”
“How did you figure it out?”
“I got the information from Romwell. The ongoing disappearances of adventurers around Riudira… It’s suspicious, isn’t it? The one who appears with their loot when the time comes. It would be more foolish to assume you wouldn’t be caught.”
“What if it’s the chieftain of a stronghold?”
“That doesn’t hold up. The Great Forest is the worst place for a large stronghold. There’s no one to plunder nearby, and surviving in the Great Forest means you’re no ordinary bandit. If they had such skills, they’d be doing something other than banditry.”
His reasoning was plausible, but… I never expected someone to burn a chest of top-grade magic stones for this.
‘This guy… he’s not a dud.’
Now that I see it, his smirking face is starting to annoy me.
“Let’s be honest with each other. I have no intention of taking your dungeon. In fact, I’m pleased that we now share a secret.”
Leon, wanting to get too close for comfort. His motives are inscrutable, making it hard to let down my guard.
“Why approach me like this? You must know it only heightens my wariness.”
“I hesitated because of that… but I know that if I hesitate, I’ll just keep circling forever, hahaha!”
A guy with a strange mind.
It almost sounded like he was courting me.
“I want you. Didn’t I say I have to have what I want to be satisfied?”
“Shouldn’t an adult know that throwing a tantrum isn’t something to be proud of?”
“Hahaha! That’s true, isn’t it?”
I’ve only seen this guy twice before today.
“I’ve been upfront from the start. I just need someone worthy of my trust.”
“Is that supposed to be me?”
“Yes.”
“…”
This baseless confidence… where does it come from?
Now I really feel like he might just like me.
“You need the top-grade magic stones too, don’t you?”
“…”
“I’m the only one around here who can provide as many top-grade magic stones as you want without any trouble.”
…He’s right.
“I feel like I’m being drawn in.”
“Haha! Is that so? Then… how about this?”
He made a proposal.
“I’ll entrust you with one more task. This will bring us even closer.”
“…Are you sure?”
“Of course! I’m certain!”
What a bizarre guy…
Wait? If I keep acting suspicious, will easy jobs keep coming my way?
‘I hope so…’
Swoosh…
He held up two fingers.
“Complete this task, and I’ll hand over two chests of top-grade magic stones.”
“What do I have to do?”
It’s not a matter of whether to do it or not.
I must do it.
“It’s simple, go to Kirene yourself and bring back what I want.”
“In person?”
“Yes, in person.”
A strange condition.
A task that must be done personally.
‘It’s not that it’s difficult or anything.’
The dungeon core, recently saturated with souls, ensures I can travel to and from Kirene without any trouble.
“Is that all? Is it something hard to find or time-consuming?”
“Not at all! I’ll kindly write down the location for you, so you can go and come back at ease. Just…”
He trailed off before continuing.
“You might want to hurry a little.”
“Is it urgent?”
Grinning…
“Urgent? Well… maybe for someone else, not me.”
* * *
Clopping hooves and the rhythmic rattle of a carriage gently roused me from sleep.
“We’re nearly at Kirene, Master Faust.”
“…Understood.”
Eyes fluttering open to the warm sunlight filtering through the carriage, it was tempting to drift back into slumber.
‘Yawning from too much leisure,’ I thought.
Since thwarting the premature assault of the Blood Cult, the dungeon had been free from threats.
The dispatch of the Adventurers’ Guild’s investigation team in Episode 5 had been postponed, thanks to a collaboration with Romwell.
‘So what’s coming in Episode 3?’
If not Romwell, the original boss of Act 3, nor the dispatched investigation team, then perhaps…
‘The boss of Episode 4?’
Mempir, the lost dark merchant.
His route splits in two: one is to simply defeat him, which is the first route.
In this case, armed with Mempir’s goods, he boasts a formidable difficulty. His base specs are so strong that fighting him is hardly a straightforward affair.
The alternative route requires purchasing at least one of Mempir’s goods with your own money. Buying just one item, he leaves without a fuss and keeps the dungeon’s secrets, showcasing his professional merchant’s ethics.
‘Will he be the one to come?’
Say the word, for I sell what you desire.
This is Mempir’s signature line. Remembering it now, he was indeed a unique boss among the episodes.
Even if he comes, there’s no problem. My coffers are full thanks to the deal with Romwell.
‘So where does the next episode begin?’
Still… unknown.
“There it is, the gates of Kirene.”
My first impression of the city of Kirene was its rustic simplicity. However, the sheer size of the buildings, even visible from outside the city, drew the eye.
Entering Kirene was effortless. With Bill in our party, passing such city defenses was trivial.
Currently, my companions in the city are Ruby, Bill, and Morida, who handle intelligence operations.
“Then, I’ll see to the carriage. Ruby?”
“Yes, Captain! I’ll stick by your side!”
“Let’s hope for no trouble.”
“Of course!”
Ruby and Mori, dressed not in battle gear but in everyday clothes, looked like high-class servants attending to a noble.
“Is that the place?”
“Wow! It’s huge at first glance! That’s the library, right?”
The Central Library of Kirene is both a symbol of the city and a holder of strange history.
When the city was founded, ruins were excavated on the site. The noble in charge of construction didn’t demolish the ruins, instead taking all the valuable finds and donating the historically significant but non-monetizable artifacts to the city.
Perhaps out of guilt for his windfall, he paid for the construction of the library himself.
Originally intended to be a museum, the library was built due to the overwhelming number of ancient texts among the artifacts.
“Is this your first visit?”
A librarian attached herself to us from the entrance.
A vast number of librarians are employed just to maintain this library.
Bill stepped forward to answer.
“Yes.”
“Your identification, please.”
We presented our forged identification, and the librarian nodded, indicating she had verified them.
“Please come in. Do you have a particular volume in mind?”
As the desired question was asked, I naturally stepped forward.
“This one.”
A parchment detailing the exact location of the volume within the library. It was the item given by Leon.
It seems the item he seeks is a book from the Central Library of Kirene.
“Please wait here while I verify the information on the volume.”
Nodding…
After the librarian disappeared into the distance, Ruby looked around in awe.
“Wow… all these are books?”
“…Surprised?”
“Surprised! It’s like being in a sea of paper.”
Her words resonated oddly.
I had similar thoughts.
Without looking at the title, I picked up a nearby book. Skimming through, it detailed the kings of small nations currently rising in Solaria.
Though not particularly engaging, the book’s pull had me turning several pages.
Thump.
Closing the book, I pondered.
I only know the surface of this world.
How the original episodes unfolded, the extent of the 72 demons’ powers.
All things irrelevant to the residents of Solaria, if one wishes to live here.
Yet, I’ve focused solely on such information. Perhaps I haven’t truly immersed myself in their lives…
If I were to open the vast volumes of this library, would they be densely filled with content? Or, like the flawed original, filled with blank pages?
I hope for the former now.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“It’s alright.”
The librarian glanced up at my casual address, but quickly averted her gaze, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“The volume you’ve requested seems to have a slight issue.”
“An issue?”
“Its author is unclear, and it’s awaiting classification.”
“Hmm…”
“The classification will proceed in order…”
“How long will it be on hold?”
“I can’t give a definite answer… Perhaps more than three years. That’s relatively quick.”
“May I read the book anyway?”
“Well…”
I fixed the librarian with a firm gaze, hoping my regal presence would sway her.
‘But if I exert too much pressure… it could cause problems.’
Sigh…
“Normally it’s not allowed, but as long as you don’t take it out…”
“Thank you.”
“This way, please.”
As the librarian fanned her face and hurried ahead, Ruby shot me a glance.
“Ruthless.”
Morida chuckled beside me.
“I should learn that. It’s a useful tactic.”
“…You’re all too loud. Have you forgotten this is a library?”
Deep within the Kirene Library.
A place piled high with volumes still dusty from neglect. Likely the unclassified books reside here.
“Here’s the book.”
The cover, of indeterminate leather, felt remarkably thin.
“Then, enjoy your reading. I’ll leave you to it…”
The librarian withdrew, leaving me to ponder.
How to take this book with me?
“Just take it.”
“To notice a book’s disappearance… the sheer volume is too vast.”
“Yes, the unclassified books alone could fill a lake.”
No anti-theft magic was in place.
Applying such costly spells to unsorted books would be more trouble than it’s worth.
From the moment I was led into this room, even if a theft occurred, the library would have little to say. With so many librarians and such a vast space, these things happen.
“Thanks to this, I’ve easily secured two chests of magic stones.”
“Shall we move immediately?”
“Just a moment…”
What is it about this book that Leon wanted so urgently?
No special locks, no sense of power.
That means…
“Something special must be recorded within…”
On the dungeons abandoned during the Great Cataclysm…
‘A book about dungeons?’
Upon inspection, the content wasn’t all that important. Aside from the author being a demon, there was nothing particularly memorable.
The content went like this:
The author, a wanderer from long ago, recorded abandoned dungeons, detailing why each had been lost.
As I read, the pages turned effortlessly.
Rustle…
Rustle…
Then, at a certain point, my hand stopped.
On the dungeon, the Rotten Root.
‘…What?’
I read every word with wide eyes, absorbing the mix of known and unknown information, and then…
The Rotten Root can no longer function as a dungeon. Each year, as autumn peaks, the host of the Rotten Root awakens. In this process, the dungeon collapses and is rebuilt, destroying most of its infrastructure…
“…What?”
Leon’s last words to me echoed in my mind.
Urgent? Well… maybe for someone else, not me.
Perhaps, the new Act 3 of the episode had already been unfolding.