The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices

The dungeon monsters keep offering sacrifices – 048

EP.48 Devil’s Sweet Whisper

The restaurant was adorned with vibrant colors and lights. Sunlight streaming through crystal windows gently filled the serene interior. A splendid bouquet adorned the center of the table, surrounded by exquisite dishes. As the butler approached the table, he singled out a dish.

“This is a dish prepared with ‘Black Veil’ caught from the Diat Lake. I hope it suits the princess’s palate.”

It was a fish dish, luxurious and crafted from only the finest ingredients. The beautiful ambiance and sumptuous dishes naturally brought smiles, yet in Elena’s eyes, there was only melancholy.

“… Yes, thank you.”

Elena, the princess of the Sael Kingdom, replied weakly. She knew these foods would eventually ensnare her. Even the butler, authorized to offer her food, was planted by the aristocracy, hoping the royals would indulge more extravagantly. They nudged and maneuvered for it to continue that way. Just looking at the dishes in front of her confirmed it.

Where did these top-quality ingredients suddenly come from? If she indulged, rumors would soon spread. They’d say Princess Elena’s extravagance had reached its peak.

When Elena hesitated for a moment, the butler approached with a faint smile.

“Would it be offensive if it doesn’t suit your taste?”

Even if she didn’t eat it, rumors would inevitably spread. They’d probably force a story about her extravagance and wastefulness.

Despite that, Elena rose from her seat.

“I’m not feeling well today. I’ll take my leave.”

She couldn’t bear to stay here any longer. Apart from her father and her own guard, everyone else felt like an enemy. With quick steps, she left the restaurant, heading back to her room.

“Are you alright, Princess?”

“Ah, sir Lenon. I’m fine.”

Supporting the swaying Elena was her guard, Lenon. He guided her towards her room. Before she knew it, they had reached the door.

“If you need anything, just say the word.”

Lenon bent slightly at the waist.

“I’m fine, please don’t worry. I just want to be alone today.”

At her words, Lenon obediently stepped back. Once she confirmed Lenon had left, Elena entered her room.

The room was quiet. She headed towards the window where sunlight streamed in, blocking it out completely with the curtains.

A room where only she existed.

Dark and silent.

She glanced around and began retrieving something from under the bed.

“Can this really work?”

The items retrieved from under the bed were all unusual, red candles, a dead mouse, parchment with unknown symbols, a few jewels, and even a book bound in black leather.

It was a grimoire of dark magic.

The royal library contained various books, but this one was different.

Among them, what caught her eye was the grimoire of dark magic, which claimed to summon a demon. Of course, there was no certainty that it was real. It was merely brought out of curiosity.

Even if it wasn’t true, she had nothing to lose in her current situation. But what if it was real?

It was a very small possibility, but if it were true, the story would change.

“If only I had power…”

If only she had awakened mana. Or if she had talent in swordsmanship. Her current position might have been different.

But sadly, she belonged to the realm of the utterly ordinary. As she was now, even if she became a queen, there wouldn’t be much significant change. She might end up living a life dictated by the nobles.

She never considered the possibility of not being able to become a queen. After all, the aristocrats wanted a puppet king, and she fit the bill as the next in line.

Sighing, Elena bit down hard on this realization. Life only happened once. That’s why if she could change her current situation, she was willing to try anything.

“Princess, you have no talent in magic. You should sense mana first.”

“A woman skilled in swordsmanship? Princess, your stamina is weak. You should just stay still.”

Countless sarcastic remarks.

If her father, the king himself, had power, would he openly talk about such things to her?

Probably not. This was the reality of the powerless.

Elena seemed resolute as she began placing the retrieved items on the floor one by one. First, she unfolded the parchment filled with unknown symbols. Aligning the dead mouse, candles, jewels, and gold in the same positions as in the book of dark magic.

Finally, she lit the candles and bit her own finger.

A drop of blood emerged from her finger. With a slight grimace, Elena began letting the blood droplets fall onto the parchment. And soon after.

The candles, burning red, began emitting blue flames. The blue flames engulfed Elena’s blood, growing larger. They melted not only the dead mouse on the parchment but also the jewels and gold.

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***

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“Huh?”

My smartphone buzzed with an alert.

I immediately checked.

– Special Mission Alert! –

– Someone is earnestly requesting help.

–

– Will you lend a helping hand? –

A special mission.

“Seems like a lot of missions lately.”

I clicked to check the mission details.

– Individual seeking a contract with a demon.

–

– Princess Elena of the Sael Kingdom requests assistance. Dispatch dungeon monsters to aid Princess Elena.

–

– Reward: Increase in Princess Elena’s favorability.

–

Desiring a contract with a demon? Isn’t the title a bit provocative?

Yeah, let’s just assume that.

“… Isn’t the reward a bit too measly?”

The reward is merely an increase in favorability. I pondered for a moment. This mission was different from the tasks I usually received. It wasn’t about dungeons or monsters, it was about helping someone like me. Even though the reward was meager, it sparked my interest.

“The Sael Kingdom…”

I’ve heard there’s a princess in the Sael Kingdom, but I don’t know who she is exactly. There was no real necessity for me to know.

“But it’s better to lend a hand, right?”

Despite the meager reward, it was about a princess of a kingdom. Opportunities to face royalty weren’t common. If I could establish a connection with the princess, it might be advantageous for me.

My dungeon’s location was near the Sael Kingdom, almost like neighbors. So, the princess’s favorability might come in handy someday.

“In that case, who should I send?”

Actually, this wasn’t a problem that required much consideration. There was always one correct answer.

“Indeed, it’s only Celia.”

I immediately dispatched Celia for the task at hand.

– Click –

After finishing up my business and putting my smartphone back in my pocket, the skeletons around me started making noises. I was still in an F-grade dungeon. And the skeletons in the dungeon were expressing their intentions towards me.

Due to my abilities, understanding their words wasn’t too difficult. I had some questions, and I accepted their request.

“Hmm… something’s odd.”

The current situation was that an F-grade dungeon had entered my radar. And I felt the energy of this dungeon very distinctly.

I also felt the energy of this dungeon, which led to a question.

“Why can’t I sense Azmo’s dungeon?”

Azmo’s dungeon was said to be on Earth just like mine. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t sense its energy as I did with the others. It wasn’t like it had been defeated, it still existed in my dungeon list.

“Hmm.”

What was obstructing the dungeon’s energy? Perhaps it was due to some interference that I couldn’t perceive the dungeon’s energy.

Putting aside these thoughts for a moment.

“Well, it’ll work out somehow.”

Knowing that Azmo’s dungeon was still there, it wasn’t a problem. I decided to focus on my current concerns, addressing the issues with the operation of the skeleton dungeon and how to manage Kang Jin-soo.

The mission? Celia would handle it well on her own.

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***

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Blue flames surged.

As the flames that had reached the ceiling subsided, someone appeared before Elena.

“… Gasp!”

She was an incredibly striking woman. The large horns atop her silver hair indicated that she wasn’t an ordinary person. Simultaneously, an immense presence emanated from her. Even Elena, who couldn’t sense mana, could feel that she wasn’t just an ordinary demon.

“Oh, a demon…!”

It was just as written in the book. Could it be that she actually summoned a demon?

The woman smiled broadly as she looked at Elena, who was sitting on the ground, dumbfounded.

“Oh, what a cute little lady.”

Elena was too shocked to utter a word. However, the demon before her teased her ears with a gentle voice.

“My name is Celia. What could the cute little lady have called me for?”

It was a sweet whisper of the demon.

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***

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The appearance of the demon I had wondered about. Elena, surprised as she was, didn’t do anything foolish to throw the opportunity.

The other party didn’t seem like an ordinary demon, she appeared to be an extraordinary being. In a way, it was an opportunity.

Elena introduced herself to the being who called herself Celia and shared many stories. The current state of affairs in the Sael Kingdom, the power struggle between the royal faction and the nobles, and what her own goals were. Among them were stories forbidden in the royal court. The story even reached the point that Elena’s father, who led the Sael Kingdom, wasn’t actually the legitimate heir.

“Indeed, so you had many concerns.”

Fortunately, the demon listened attentively. The kindness she displayed made me wonder if the image of a demon was merely a fabrication of humans.

“The king had no heir. Eventually, while seeking a successor, your father became one. As you can see, even though your father ascended to the throne, it’s merely a royal title without a real foundation.”

It sounded like a succession of the royal lineage, but in reality, it was deeply mingled with the blood of commoners. Karendia Dersael. Therefore, despite adopting the Dersael surname of the royal family, there was no actual name in between. In other words, it meant having no real roots.

“Human lives are quite complex.”

Celia empathized with her words. Since she was essentially a commoner among royals, Elena knew that the nobles looked down on her more. And now, she was reaching her limit.

The nobles were like ticking time bombs, unpredictable in their explosion. Moreover, the White Order was becoming more active, attempting to interfere with the Sael Kingdom.

At that moment, laughter reached Elena’s ears.

“Hahaha.”

Peeking outside, she saw nobles in the garden, laughing while waving their wine glasses. To dare to use the royal garden as if it were their own. They were truly despicable individuals.

After confirming their presence, Elena made up her mind.

“I don’t care what you seek in return. Just grant me power! That’s my wish.”

She wanted power even if it meant selling her soul to the demon. With that power, she aimed to firmly establish the monarchy’s system. That was Elena’s goal.

“You’re quite audacious for a princess.”

Elena gazed out the window with indifferent eyes. There was a conspicuous figure in her view, the Count Derek, right in the center of the gathering. Count Derek was one of the leading nobles among the aristocracy, someone considered an enemy of the royal faction.

“If only that man would disappear…”

Elena murmured almost involuntarily as she looked at Count Derek. It was a tiny soliloquy, but not too small for Celia to overhear.

“Consider this a gift before our official contract.”

Celia mentioned this while making a slight gesture. Immediately, something peculiar happened to Count Derek, who was enjoying himself in the garden.

“…!”

Even Elena’s lips parted in response to this minute change. Count Derek, with an alarmed expression, raised the knife from the cake.

Brief cries erupted from the surroundings, but Count Derek paid no heed. Instead, he began to brandish the knife around, not caring for the blood splattering into the air. Crimson droplets floated above the verdant grass, staining it.

The gathering that had recently been celebrating their presumed victory quickly turned into chaos.

As Elena watched this scene from inside the room…

“Ha-ha…”

She was engulfed in an inexplicable thrill, an emotion akin to exhilaration.