Dungeon Defense (WN)

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I blinked. Ivar wants to become my subordinate?

Ivar is the head of the Keuncuska Firm and also a powerful Vampire Lord. An individual who has money, wit, and power. If someone like that were to come under my wing, then it would definitely benefit me greatly. Nonetheless……doesn’t this sound too good to be true?

‘Status’.

I muttered the word in my head while looking at Ivar. I wanted to confirm it. Sure enough, I could only see a simple window with Ivar’s stamina, attack, and defense. This meant that Ivar’s affection hadn’t even reached 20.

He’s lying.

Currently, Laura and Lapis are the only ones under my wing. It only became possible to recruit them after their affection points had reached 50. This was a problem with the system itself. Ivar Lodbrok was asking to become my subordinate even though his affection points hadn’t reached 50, let alone 20 yet. His motives were suspicious.

‘Haa…….’

Why are the people around me always like this?

One woman went a year saying she didn’t do it and then suddenly sets me up saying I did it, another person furtively put pressure on me for the sake of balancing the factions even though he knew the truth, and another girl invited me to partake in murder with her while smiling brightly.

They were all people who could probably raise at least 10 snakes in their stomachs. Now someone was telling me that they were moved and that their life was changed because of me even though they didn’t mean it at all. Can I go a single moment without dealing with politics?

No, this isn’t something I should be saying……. I would sometimes act slyly around Laura and Lapis as well. I don’t even have to mention Barbatos. There’s probably no one who’s as political as me. In the end, is it a crow next to a crow……? My head ached.

I tapped the floor with my index finger.

“Listen here, Lodbrok.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“To be honest, I like you.”

I spoke with the utmost sincerity.

“Your wisdom that allowed you to live for 3,000 years must truly be marvelous. In order to overcome the limit of demonkind that must absolutely submit to Demon Lords, you moved your soul to a doll to preserve your free will. You are on a different level compared to the others who simply have to live while yielding to Demon Lords.”

“Your words honor me.”

“However.”

I let out a sigh.

“This is why I am disappointed. Why are you lying to me?”

“…….”

“For the past 6 months, we have performed a splendid dance together. If it were not for you and your Keuncuska Firm, the Crescent Alliance would not have gotten this far. Do you understand? Our relationship is not simply that of a Demon Lord and a demon. We are partners. Comrades walking together towards a single goal.”

Ivar didn’t budge an inch as he stayed on the ground.

“If you truly intended to become my vassal, then you would have come to me with your true body.”

“Your Highness, this is a misunderstanding. These are urgent times, so I could not come here with my true body.”

“Why would it be urgent for you?”

I chuckled.

“There is no reason for you to become my vassal right this instant. It would be correct to carry out the proper formalities once you are able to find the time to do so at your own pace. Despite this, you came here urgently at a time like this……. This means that your goal is something that cannot be accomplished unless you approach me now. Am I wrong?”

“…….”

“It’s Paimon, huh.”

How obvious.

In truth, there is something that Ivar has to be called to account for. It was the ledger that Paimon had prepared and handed to the saintess. The ledger was something that absolutely should not have entered the hands of another party because of the contract between me and the Keuncuska Firm. However, this incident went beyond being a simple leak and almost ended up killing me, the contracting party.

“Do you intend to ask me to kill Paimon at the price of becoming my vassal? She obtained the ledger through the Keuncuska Firm, after all. You must want to get rid of the evidence.”

“Your Highness, that is not true……!”

“Ivar Lodbrok!”

I shouted.

“This is how you have always been! You were like this back during the hearing as well. That old goblin most likely did not try to screw me over by himself, as it is clear that you must have meddled in it as well. Despite this, the goblin took all of the responsibility and killed himself. Have you ever given me a proper apology about the hearing? You feigned ignorance!”

Heat spread throughout my body as I continued to speak. Was I getting worked up excessively? No. This is the right time to get worked up!

“Were you that afraid that watching Andromalius die would come back to bite you? Is that why you wanted me dead? Now it is Paimon’s turn……. Hah! Is the way you conduct yourself not impressive?”

“This one was…….”

“You push all of your wrongdoings onto other people. If it is too difficult to push them over, you get someone killed instead. How many people have you gotten killed by doing this? If Demon Lords are monsters, then what are you? A being far worse than a monster! A vampire! A bat bastard who cannot live without seeing another person’s blood!”

Ivar raised his body. Our gazes met. There was no trace of the calm and composed expression he had earlier. Ivar’s eyes were boiling like lava. Did you take offense to what I said?

“Then what should I do!?”

Ivar shouted with a suppressed voice.

“Simply harboring presumptuous thoughts is enough to be called out, and our bodies do not listen even if we want to fight back……. That is the limit of demonkind when facing a Demon Lord! You have no idea what it means to be born as a demon!”

Ivar’s voice was filled with anger, sorrow, and frustration.

“At one point, I relied on people like you. However, every time I did, all I received in return was betrayal! To Demon Lords, demons are nothing more than lesser beings that are comparable to household pets. They claim that they will conquer the continent for the sake of demonkind, but even if that is accomplished, Demon Lords will rule while demonkind will forever be ruled!”

Ivar glared at me with a gaze that contained several thousand years’ worth of resentment.

“Say it! Was demonkind created to be ruled!? Regardless of how terrified and scared they are, are they doll-like beings that have to die if they are ordered to die!? Even if they spend hundreds of years to become skilled at something……to create a precious family……do they have to give that all up simply because it is a Demon Lord that orders them to!?”

I grabbed Ivar by his collar. I brought his face right up to mine and growled.

“Are you frustrated because you were born a demon? Do not make me laugh. Birth itself is unfair. Do you think I wanted to be born in a world like this!?”

“Kuh……!”

“I do not care about how miserable you are. That is completely outside of my interest. Similar to how you are being dragged around by your misfortunes, I am also busy carrying my misfortunes. Regardless, it disgusts me to no end whenever I see people like you try to throw their misfortunes onto someone else entirely!”

Thud, I headbutted him. It hurt immensely. His might stat was definitely higher than mine. However, I couldn’t hold myself back without hitting him once.

“I am not the Demon Lord that betrayed you! I am Dantalian. I am Dantalian and no one else! Regardless of whether you had to offer the life of your kin, your first love because you were deceived by some Demon Lord bastard―do not treat me like you do that Demon Lord!”

Shock filled Ivar’s eyes.

“H-How…….”

“If you made a mistake, then apologize for it. If you have a flaw, then think about how to go forward with it instead of trying to cover it up. That is how you should treat your comrades! If you go on about being a vassal or whatever without adopting a stance of this degree, then you are only fooling yourself!”

I pushed Ivar back with the hand that was holding his collar. He fell backward.

“Get out of here! If you are only here to discuss some half-hearted friendship, then it would be easier to treat you as a complete enemy.”

“…….”

Ivar and I glared at each other in silence while catching our breaths. Ivar let up first. His eyes were filled not only with anger but perplexity as well. He couldn’t subdue anyone with a gaze like that. In the end, Ivar turned away first. He got up and left the tent with weak steps.

“Hoo…….”

I let out a deep breath. The delight I felt after discovering the new functions that came with my level increasing had long disappeared. My insides felt like they were boiling. Damn it. I was already feeling anxious because of the matter with Paimon, but now some guy was trying to also strike the back of my head.

We are bound by gains and profits anyway. In other words, we have a relationship that meant we would betray the other party the moment we see a chance at a bigger profit. There is a chance that the Keuncuska Firm leaked the ledgers regarding the Black Death deliberately. Destroy Paimon politically and get rid of me at the same time……. This could be possible. This is how politics is. How filthy.

‘I’ll spare Paimon.’

I came to a decision. During this Crescent Alliance expedition, the Keuncuska Firm had contributed greatly to the Minerva Operation that Lapis and I had devised. However, compared to Lapis, I couldn’t trust Ivar completely. He’s a bastard who could betray me at any moment, no, a wench.

I need at least one leash. Paimon’s survival will make Ivar docile.

Paimon is the head of the Mountain Faction and I’m a key figure within the Plains Faction. I’m in a position that allows me to ask Barbatos for assistance whenever I want. No matter how great the Keuncuska Firm is in the demon world, it can’t survive if it gets pressured on both sides by the Mountain Faction and the Plains Faction.

Come to think of it, didn’t Paimon get screwed over by Ivar as well? If Ivar didn’t betray her during the hearing, then she would have beat me. Let’s utilize this to persuade her. Well, I’m offering to spare her life. It’d be bad if I couldn’t profit from this as much as I could……. I’ll wring you dry.

The beastman standing guard outside spoke up.

“Your Highness, Demon Lord Sitri is requesting for an audience.”

“I’ll snap your neck.”

I unintentionally muttered those words. It seems I won’t be able to get any rest today.

No, do these people not have any common sense? Verbal battles are also a type of duel. Therefore, I’m like a general that had just returned after fighting the Crescent Alliance’s first skirmish. Why are people trying to bother someone who just wants to rest?

“Tell them to come later!”

“Understood, Your Highness……Your Highness Sitri, I apologize, but.”

I don’t have the strength to deal with Sitri as well.

Regardless of my desire, it seems the other party genuinely didn’t have any common sense. I could hear the sound of arguing outside before Sitri forced her way into my tent. I was about to shout at her brash attitude as a guest, but I was at a loss for words the moment I saw her.

“Have mercy. Please have mercy!”

Sitri didn’t even look at me properly before prostrating on the ground. Is prostrating the moment you see me a recent trend? No, that isn’t the issue…….”

“Uhm, Miss Sitri?”

“I will give you anything you want. I will become your slave if you ask me to. So please……at least spare Paimon, Big Sis Paimon’s life……!”

She slammed her head against the ground as she bowed. She wasn’t just bringing her head down out of courtesy. She was sincerely, with all her strength, slamming her head against the ground. I was inadvertently taken aback by the degree at which she bowed. I was troubled about where to look.

“That’s not, uhm.”

“Do you not need a sex slave? Despite my appearance, no one can compare to me when it comes to that field of expertise. I am being serious. I could give you any pleasure that you could possibly imagine on the surface of the earth as long as you spare Big Sis Paimon!”

“……How about putting on some clothes first?”

Sitri was completely naked.

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. Well, I got my pictures taken. I guess I’ve graduated? Time to struggle within society. On another note, I’ll be somewhat busy for the next 2 days because a bunch of my friends from my university and high school wanted to meet up and stuff since I’ve graduated. Honestly, this chapter should’ve taken longer to come out, but I wound up sitting down and finishing it. I might be able to do that again for the next chapter but don’t expect too much from me.

I’ll see you guys in the next chapter.

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