Chapter 42

42 – The Hospitality of the Monsters’ Territory

Monsters were standing in the way of Fenix and his party.

「There you are…」

Alba muttered.

Fenix’s party was confused at why Fenix suddenly burst out into laughter, but his words right afterward pulled them back into focus.

The Vampire Queen Carmilla that controlled bat familiars.

She was a bewitching vampire with a mask that covered her face and an elaborate dress covering her body.

「The Big Four, huh? We’ve defeated them before, but having all four of them show up at once would definitely be troublesome.」

Lark spoke in his usual low-tension voice.

It depends on the Dungeon, but the Big Four, or any rank similar to that, have the potential to appear on pretty much any stratum.

In the Demon King Castle, they appeared in the third, fifth, eighth, and ninth stratum.

They’re, of course, quite powerful, but there is one big difference about them that sets them apart from the rest of the Monsters.

For one time only, they are able to appear in a stratum that they’re not in charge of.

This is usually the case for either the Dungeon Master battle or the fight right before that.

To put it another way, other than the top-ranked monsters, special monsters like Floor Bosses and such are not allowed to appear on other strata, so they had returned to the Link Room after the speech.

There is one exception, however, and that is for them to be summoned by someone instead of entering the stratum themself.

Fenix’s party still didn’t know about my ring.

That’s why I’ll start with making them think they’re just normal Clear.

By the way, I was officially promoted to Chief of Staff today. Before that, I was just a normal Monster, helping out with various things on the first and second strata. This was also a way to prevent any information on the strata from leaking.

「That Black Knight Furcus, is especially bothersome. My arrows won’t pierce that armor.」

Furcus was quite large in her armor.

It’s not that she exactly looked like a large person, but rather she looked like an extra-large statue created to resemble some famous person. You really had to look up when facing her, making it so that she didn’t seem like an actual person.

The Reaper Knight Furcus wielded a pitch-black spear.

Behind her were several of her subordinates, the Dragonkin. They were warriors with the forms of Humans and dragon scales covering their heads.

I was able to get normal Monsters like Marchosias’s werewolf subordinates and Naberius’s Hellhound subordinates to work under me but I was hiding that fact right now.

The Hellhounds had especially taken a liking to me and were operating according to my directions.

「If we want to end this quickly, we’ll have to go after the Floor Boss, but…」

The stratum is considered Cleared as long as the Floor Boss is defeated.

But the Frost Hero Bella had a stern look on her face.

Her and Fenix were able to resist my Black Magic to a certain extent, but Alba was taking it full-on, while even Lark, who had a small amount of Magical Energy due to his Job, and Lily, who naturally generated more Magical Energy than Humans because of her racial traits, were struggling as well.

This was ultimately a team battle. Their operating ability had definitely taken a hit.

They were able to move, but not very easily, and they were far from their full strength. In fact, they were quite off their game. Something like that.

Strictly physically speaking, however.

「…Ugh, I don’t mind if you go on without me.」

「That definitely wouldn’t be a good idea. Wasn’t there another party that got wiped out by doing that very same thing?」

「The Thunder Hero, right? I will say that it’s unlikely that this level of status-reducing Black Magic is coming from just a single user. It’s probably safe to assume that there are multiple Black Magic users hiding about like the first stratum.」

Even the Frost Hero didn’t seem to make the connection between Lemegeton and Lem.

Well, that’s only natural.

「This is lame. Black Magic is completely boring to any viewers watching this, yet they’re using something like that.」

「Maybe on its own, but it has the potential to be interesting if combined with other factors. Shouldn’t you be well aware of that by now, Alba?」

It seemed it was true that Bella had recognized my abilities. It wasn’t that I had doubted Fenix, it was just that it felt kind of strange actually hearing that.

It was likely a result of her natural observational skills rather than her status as a Hero.

「Y’know, there are some things that were better about Lem than you. For one, he didn’t babble on about nonsense all the time.」

「He must have been quite the patient person, then.」

Alba clicked his tongue, but he didn’t say anything back.

「…Give me a few seconds, I’ll end this.」

No one had any objections.

They must have felt that a few seconds wouldn’t be any problem.

Fenix repelled Furcus’s spear.

Furcus paid no mind to her spear that was seared and chopped in half and continued with a second, and then a third thrust.

By the time she thrust her spear out, it had already mended itself.

It was apparently a Magic Tool that was passed on by the previous Furcus.

「Foolish Adventurers who dare bare their fangs at Lord Lemegeton, I sentence thee to death by blood!」

The nails of Milla’s Avatar extend.

With said sharp nails, she slashes open her wrists.

When Avatars perform self-harm, it would be Magical Energy that flows out instead of blood. But it still applied to blood manipulation techniques.

The blood that flowed out floated in the air instead of dripping onto the floor, transforming into several swords that she could swing to her liking.

Her bats spread their wings in preparation.

「I don’t think I’d ever get used to that sadistic impression that Vampire lets off.」

Lark spoke while stepping forward.

「…With apologies to the armed Dragonkin, shall we take out the ones that are within range, Lily?」

「Indeed! It will be tricky with Godspeed, but if I just fire arrows normally…!」

Lily readied her arrows while Bella deployed her ice magic.

「You can slow me down and lower my attack power as much as you want, but your damn Black Magic won’t do a thing to my weapon!」

Alba held his Magic Sword with both hands and pointed the tip towards me.

The blade then immediately began stretching out towards me with incredible speed.

Right. Even if his strength got lowered, he still had that.

Magic Swords are weapons that move according to the user’s thoughts.

And Black Magic has no effect on inanimate objects.

I had no way of decreasing the speed at which the sword flew towards me. Swords are usually swung by people, meaning that they could be slowed down by lowering the speed of the wielder, but this Magic Sword is a different case.

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Because the sword itself moved.

If the enemy was anyone but me, they would have likely suffered significant wounds.

But I know you, Alba.

I’ve fought alongside you for how many years now?

This stretching thrust of his that moved faster than any gust of wind.

He was aiming for my head.

I continued sitting at my seat.

「You’re gonna die with that smirk on your face!」

It’s true that I might have been taken out right here and now if I underestimated you all.

That’s just how good of an attack it was.

But I would never do such a thing.

Right before the sword reached my head, I put my elbow on the armrest of my chair and rested my cheek on my raised fist.

The sword that was supposed to pierce my head stabbed into the back of my chair.

The Demon King Army’s Chief of Staff Lemegeton continued sitting in his seat with his resting on one hand.

「Wha?!」

Alba was shocked over how I had dodged his perfectly aimed trajectory.

「What a splendid sword.」

The blade extends by pleating itself like an accordion. The blade part and the extended parts are patched together.

The parts that contracted and expanded had no edge.

I grabbed that part.

「Don’t you think you should let go?」

I gave a provocative warning.

Alba realized his mistake a moment afterward, but it was already too late.

His Magic Sword determines its trajectory the moment right before it launches.

How it would move, and how it would come back.

For this specific instance, it was supposed to pierce my head and then return right back to the hilt.

But what if someone held the sword in place as it was coming back?

The Magic Sword would operate according to the instructions it was given, meaning that both sides would end up pulling against each other.

Let’s turn things back a little.

Alba was taking my Black Magic full-on.

Right when his sword was about to come back to him, I increased the effects of the Black Magic I had on him.

I clouded his thoughts and lowered his vision.

That was more than enough. After tottering and stumbling, he ended up being dragged away from his comrades by the sword.

「Alba!」

It was Fenix’s voice.

「Y-You gotta be kidding me…!」

I knew he wouldn’t let go of his sword.

This Magic Sword was something that was temporarily constructed with Magical Energy, but it was still something that he had received from his father.

Besides, a Warrior is nothing without their sword.

That intense attachment was what cost Alba his arms.

「Fear not. I shall torture you until you lose all sense of composure, then I shall allow you to die.」

Carmilla’s Blood Swords cut off Alba’s arms from the elbows.

「I wonder what your blood tastes like? It’d probably be as thin as water. I don’t need it, so I’ll let my little darlings feast on it.」

Carmilla sneered at Alba while rubbing her lips with her finger.

Her familiars flew towards their target.

…Milla had somewhat of a grudge against Alba because of his attitude towards me.

I realized that must have had an effect on her treatment towards Alba, as well.

「Oh, geez…」

Lark hurried to back-up Alba.

「Stay back! It’s pointless!」

He was right. Alba isn’t an idiot. He was aware of his position in this fight.

He already knew he was going to drop out, so he didn’t want any help from his comrades.

But he didn’t put enough thought into this. Well, I suppose normally it would have been more than enough.

「My my, are you sure? Without your lauded Magic Sword, you are nothing more than a foul-mouthed barbarian, no? You should beg your allies for help.」

「Shut up, don’t try to talk all big when you’ve already lost to us once! My legs are enough for someone like you!」

Alba dodged the bats and the blood swords while occasionally kicking.

「We will not lose. Our victory is assured.」

「You Monster! Don’t talk like you’re our Hero or something!」

Alba’s sword was sitting right behind me.

I had let go of it as well when Alba lost hold of it, meaning the tip of the sword was still implanted into the back of my seat.

I grabbed onto the hilt and pulled it out.

「Carmilla, don’t kill him yet.」

I ordered her as I made my way down the stairs.

「As you command, Lord Lemegeton」

Avatars always require updated information from the subject, but Magic Tools are also replicated when the Avatar is deployed.

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If the user ends up getting defeated, then their clothes and accessories will disperse into magical particles as well.

But as long as the user’s Avatar is in good health, then any of their belongings can be used by others.

I already knew that Alba’s Magic Sword didn’t have any requirements on who its user was.

He had bragged about it for so many years now, so I knew exactly how to use it.

Magic Sword, Activate.