Volume 3 Epilogue
Connie
“Yes! I will have all the shinies!” Adraugon roared in delight, the upgrades I'd made to him in accordance with our deal allowing him to strike a much more fearsome, though just as tiny, visage.
“Well done, my lord!” Rein congratulated him a moment later.
I couldn't help chuckling inwardly at the display. It was true that the little dragon had won the hand, but it was clear as day to anyone watching that he wasn't the one coming out ahead, at least not if the mountain of coins next to Vie was anything to go off of. I wasn't about to say anything of the sort, though. After how long our poker nights had been forced to go on hiatus for, I wasn't going to rain on the little gambler's parade.
“I still don't get it,” Hunt, in complete contrast to his lord, complained as he valiantly attempted to stare a hole straight through his losing cards, an action that earned him mocking laughter from his fellow draconic servant.
“Then, perhaps, you should've invested a point or two into your MIND. You certainly had enough for it. Truly, a shame,” Rein teased him.
“Hey, I don't want to hear that from the one who nearly died to a single punch from a mage and then actively decided not to spend anything on her physical stats!”
“And this is precisely why I must invest so heavily in my MIND. Our lord already benefits from your muscle-headed stubbornness. It's only natural I'd endeavor to serve him in ways you cannot.”
“You …”
I tried my best to tune the bickering pair out as I enjoyed the moment and ordered my unawakened Lizard Man farmer, Rose, to collect the cards, shuffle them, and to, once again, deal for us. Soon, I would awaken her and she, too, could join our games for real, but it would still be some time until then. As it stood, I'd been waiting to collect my earned levels until after my council of elites could further deliberate on what rewards we and our Dungeon needed most.
Now that we actually had the luxury of time, even if I knew it wouldn't last, I wholeheartedly intended to take things a bit slower and more deliberately while I could. I also intended to abide by the resolution I'd made to myself before the last invasion: to make time to spend with my loved ones. For that reason, I took the squabbling that was going on at our table in stride and reveled in the fact that I'd finally gotten everyone together for a game of poker for the first time in a long while. It was only a shame that Archie and Stein were missing from our group, though it wasn't as if we were excluding them.
Between our Dungeon's ten elites, all of the unbound monsters that we now had as an auxiliary force, and myself, we'd far surpassed the limits that a single game of poker could accommodate. For that reason, Archie had taken up the role of dealer for the other two similar games that were currently playing out among the Trentis. As for Stein, though we'd invited him to our table, the ghoul had simply chosen to play with the others instead. It seemed that all of the time he'd spent training them on how to throw things accurately in preparation for the final rain of potions they'd contributed to the raid had been enough for the bonds of comradery to begin to form between them. Still, as our numbers continued to grow, I figured it would be for the best to come up with some sort of system for rotating players between the tables within our quickly growing, makeshift casino.
That, like many other things, could wait, though. For now, all that mattered was spending time with those who were currently gathered around me. I'd even gone so far as to delay repairing my first room for that reason. So far, anyone who'd seen the destruction there had responded in the same way: to turn on the spot and leave. Once I'd realized that, I'd pushed that item to the back of my to-do list, but sadly, my responsibilities always seemed to find a way of forcing me to confront them before I wanted to.
“Blurb! Gurgle! Blur!” Prism suddenly jumped to the center of our table and started gurgling violently, just as Rose began distributing our cards.
Huh? Prism? What's up? I asked the slime, but as per usual, I only received a string of gurgles and a flood of emotions in response.
I couldn't immediately pinpoint the source of their distress, but one thing was clear: something was wrong. Without hesitation, I quickly began scanning my Dungeon for anything amiss. Starting with my new room and working my way back towards the boss room, I intently searched for anything that wasn't exactly how I'd left it. Nothing stood out to me. From the secondary entrance I'd already blocked off to the hallway and staircase leading up to my bog, everything was how it should've been.
“Our queen, what is it?” Vie asked.
“Mother, what's wrong?” as did Pee.
I'm not sure. Everything seems fi– I started to answer but cut myself off as I spotted it.
At the entrance to my bog was something both vaguely familiar in terms of size and shape yet completely foreign to me in all other aspects of its appearance. Making its way toward the water with a single-minded determination was a distinctly fairy-sized and humanoid figure, but that was where the similarities to any fay I'd ever seen ended. Rather than fluttering through my Dungeon with ease, the wingless creature was hobbling forward, using a twig in place of a cane.
As I stared at the thing, caked on mud, dried blood, and scabs covering its body in a way that reminded me of Cudgel's horrific appearance after the giant's fight with Vie and Pee, I couldn't help but to feel sympathy for it. One glance at its leg was all I needed to tell its injuries were recent. It brought back memories I preferred to avoid.
I kicked myself for that reaction. I may not have known what it was, but it was making its way through my Dungeon at an alarming pace that belied both its size and injuries. The sight of it struggling to swim with only half of its limbs was as unsettling as it was impressive, especially considering that it was moving faster than even a full-sized adventurer would've. That led me to questioning something else.
Forget what it is; just how powerful is that thing?
It hadn't escaped my notice that it was Prism and Prism alone that'd detected its intrusion. The dots weren't hard to connect from there. The slime was the only one present with Mana Sense, after all, and after seeing how efficiently Fable had been able to use the same ability, there was little doubt in my mind that it could be used to perceive things from so far away. There was only one problem with that line of thinking. Never before had Prism shown any signs of being able to get that kind of range out of the ability until now, a fact that set off blaring alarms in my mind.
Vie, Pee, Adraugon, I wasted no time in calling on those I trusted most to handle this situation, we've got an uninvited guest. It's small and seemingly injured, but if Prism is sensing it from here it's probably powerful. Right now, it's at the top of the staircase to the second floor, but it's moving fast. Get ready to intercept it.
I wasn't sure what it was we were up against, but if we'd been able to fend off both the Onikuma and the Hero's party, I was confident we'd be able to handle this too. Still, there was no point in taking unnecessary risks.
Also, Loot, get the powder ready.
“Very well,” the Shade Lurker hissed back to me as she left to prepare our trump card.
I may not have known what our opponent was, but if it thought it could get away with interrupting our poker night after everything we'd gone through, it was going to have another thing coming.
* * *
I stared at the two of hearts and the queen of diamonds my Trenti revealed to me. It was a losing hand, and the community cards did nothing to change that fact. The smart thing would've been to fold, but that would've meant backing down, something I wasn't willing to do this round.
“I raise two,” Vie stated flatly, and Archie, who we'd dragged to our table for convenience's sake, repeated her decision aloud for the benefit of those who couldn't understand her.
“I fold,” Rein declared.
“Gurgle,” Prism did as well.
“Match!” Adraugon asserted.
“Match,” Stein groaned out.
“I fold,” Noctis's decision came next.
Match, I made the only choice I felt I could.
Pee and Hunt had already lost all of their funds and, thus, were no longer playing. Archie was dealing for us and nothing more. As for Loot, she was sitting out by choice, too on edge to participate. That only left one player in our current game undecided.
“Match,” the gruff voice of what turned out to be a fairy stated at last.
I eyed the one-armed, one-legged, and wingless man warily. Despite our intentions to defend our home from him, Protection of the Fairy Queen, the same ability that prevented his kind from harming us, went both ways. Unable to get rid of him through other means, I'd at least insisted that if he was going to stick around, something that I'd made very clear he wasn't welcome to do, he would at least be joining our game rather than interrupting it. That may or may not have been a mistake. The verdict was still out on that.
Either way, with everyone decided, Archie flipped over another card we could all play off of. It was the jack of spades. Next to the nine of diamonds, the three of clubs, and the eight of hearts, it was useless to me. I still had nothing.
This was just about the worst possible position I could be in. The only chance of winning I could see for myself was if the final card happened to be a queen; that way, I could still potentially pull ahead with a high pair. I knew it was unlikely, but in spite of that, I immediately informed Archie of my decision.
I raise two.
With the maximum bet of five reached, I was relying entirely on a bluff and my stubborn refusal to back down. In response, Adraugon folded once, Stein twice, due to his memory issues, and after much consideration and time spent staring at my core in contemplation, so did Vie. The only one who didn't was the fairy sitting awkwardly on the other end of the table.
“Match,” Rodrick Lupine, elder of the Fairy Council, the one who'd once threatened my life, and a player I wasn't sure fully understood the rules of the game we were playing, called my bluff.
Archie turned over the last remaining card. It was a four of clubs. Still, I had nothing, and as my two cards were flipped to reveal that, so too were the fairy's. In his hand was the five of spades and ten of clubs. He, too, had been betting on nothing.
Had the final card been a queen, what I'd thought to be the best case scenario for me with the horrible hand I'd been dealt, it would've completed the old pyromaniac's straight, and I'd have lost. Had he even gotten a pair, he would've won, but since he hadn't, the winning factor came down to the highest valued card between us instead. Both of us had nothing, but with a single queen on my side, it just so happened that my nothing was better than his.
As the winnings were slowly gathered in front of me, our uninvited guest gritted out, “Can we talk now?”
I had Archie answer for me, “The mistress says she would rather not.”
In response, the fairy ground his teeth and sank the fingers of his one remaining hand into table he sat on, treating the Dungeon-reinforced stone like a mere stress ball. I watched his every move carefully. Then, I had Archie continue.
“However, she believes the sooner you say what you have to, the sooner you'll leave, so go on.”
Closing his eyes and taking a deep, calming breath, the elder of the council responsible for summoning me to this world spoke, “So long as you abide by our rules, I will see to it that the council leaves you alone, no pact necessary. I will also see to it that Fabian is reinstated as your Dungeon Fairy, allowing you access to our peoples' stores of knowledge once more. There is but one condition.”
That was an interesting about face, and I would've been lying if I claimed not to be interested in knowing what had brought it on, but I wasn't curious enough to warrant entertaining the idea. Especially now that I'd gone against their rules, I had no desire to get involved with their organization once more. With that being the case, I had Archie answer to that effect.
“I regret to inform you that, regardless of what the condition may be, the mistress declines your offer. She has no interest in re-establishing ties with your council, and we have been holding our own just fine without your information network.”
“With your entrance in the state it's in, I find that hard to believe.”
Rather than arguing that, I simply had Archie quote something from my status sheet to him. Going off of my last interaction with the man, that seemed to be a far more effective way of getting through to him.
“Achievement,” he began, “Regional Lord Slayer. Description: A regional lord has died within your Dungeon. Reward: All monsters gain plus one percent to all stats. The regional lord's base species has also been unlocked as a monster for you, and the experience reward for the kill has been doubled. As you can see, we have no need of you.”
That was enough to set the fairy off. His face twisting in rage, he rose to his foot, stared daggers at my core, and, then, proceeded to fall into a coughing fit. I had no idea what to make of the sight, but a couple of things stood out to me in regards to it.
What could even do that to a level one hundred fairy? I wondered as I looked him over, a plethora of emotions bubbling up from within me.
He was completely unrecognizable from the last time I'd seen him. Then, there was his temper. It was definitely still there, but it was toned down to a degree that I could scarcely believe it.
Unease still radiated from my monsters due to his presence, but even they didn't seem to fear him to the same level as before, back when his mere words had been enough to cause them to freeze up. It was as though he'd either swallowed his pride or had it broken. I wasn't sure which would've held more daunting implications, but either way, it made me feel uneasy.
“Will you at least hear me out?” he asked slowly, “Do that, and I will leave. So long as you uphold our rules, pact or no pact, I will also refrain from–ugh–” he paused to cough, “pursuing matters with you further.”
The fact that he'd struggled to finish that sentence spoke volumes about his current condition, yet in spite of that, it was clear that he was still standing and refused to let even his missing limbs stop him. That gave me mixed feelings. I wasn't sure how to process that, but if all it would take to get the Fairy Council off my back for good was to listen to what he had to say here, that was too good of an offer to pass up.
“So long as you leave after, go on,” I prompted Archie to say.
“As you should know,” he put so much emphasis on the world, 'should,' that it would've been impossible to miss, “the pact we enforce with Dungeons prevents infighting between both them and us, a necessary measure to ensure there is no repeat of the Dungeon War. Like you, it would seem another among the Dungeons with Heroes' souls in their cores was not properly bound by this pact. I need you to deal with it.”
Not a chance! I practically yelled into Archie's mind as a knee-jerk reaction, Absolutely not! Just no!
“The mistress, ahem,” he struggled momentarily to maintain diplomacy in the face of my burning outrage, “strongly declines.”
“You said you'd hear me out. Let. Me. Finish.”
I felt nothing but disgust at the man's words. He'd been responsible for summoning not just me but other people to this world and imprisoning our souls in Dungeon Cores, yet he had the nerve to ask me to deal with one of the others for him when it wouldn't fall in line? The audacity that must've been required for him to even suggest such a thing was baffling. I hadn't been aware I could feel the level of disdain for someone that I currently felt toward him in that moment, but as it turned out, I could.
“Her answer remains a firm no, but go on,” Archie spoke without my prompting.
Rodrick nodded at that before continuing, “The Dungeon Fairy responsible for this Dungeon, Petalli–no, that wasn't Petalli. The witch of the Abyssal Swamp–was one of the cruelest and most insane warmongers back during the Dungeon War. The number of other Dungeons that fell to the Abyssal Swamp, all for the sake of feeding its–and her–growth, are generously estimated to have been in the dozens. The mortal death toll she inflicted was, likewise, unthinkable.
“Cities, towns, an entire kingdom or two, she wiped them off the face of the map with a wicked grin and no regard for the destruction she wrought. She slaughtered defenseless civilians by the thousand, treating their souls as fuel for her magic despite them individually providing almost nothing to her. The only value she found in mortal lives was to force them to fight monsters day in and day out to generate experience for her Dungeon. Not even reaching the fifth tier and, presumably–though it was never officially confirmed–obtaining a unique title was enough to sate her bloodlust!
“In the end, it took the majority of Dungeons on the same continent as her forming an alliance, an army of their monsters, and multiple level one hundred fairy's to shatter her core and kill her, or so we thought. Clearly, she faked her own death, changed her face, and infiltrated the Fairy Council under another's name, a council that was in part created for the sake of preventing anyone else from doing what she once did. Oh, and did I mention she was the one that pushed for summoning you three in the first place?
“This monster is currently out there, planning on reliving her glory days and forcing her Dungeon Core, a Hero no less, to commit whatever atrocities it takes to do so! Is that really the kind of neighbor you want to have? Because she is currently set up in the same kingdom as you, just some north of here!
“Regardless of what you may think of us, I do not lie to you when I say our goal is the greater good of the world at large. The first Dungeon War nearly resulted in the outright extinction of mortals as a whole! Such an atrocity cannot be allowed to repeat itself again, under any circumstances. Will you really allow her do as she pleases, unchecked and with no regard for the consequences? Dungeon Core or not, you do possess the soul of a Hero, after all.
“Go ahead. Tell me you don't care, and make it clear to me that I am wasting my words on someone undeserving of their title. Do that, and I will leave this place at once and never return, so tell me, what will it be?”
Uh, I faltered under the implications of his words and the rising heat in his voice that had practically become an inferno by the end.
That was a lot to unpack. I didn't care about the Fairy Council, their amity, or even their resources. What I did care about out of what I'd just heard, though, were a few things.
First was that the fairy in question sounded like a genocidal maniac. That would've been bad enough, but apparently another one of their victims, someone who was in the same situation as me, was currently stuck bound to them, subject to their whims, assuming what I was just told was true, at least. Then, there was something else that affected me far more directly.
A sense of urgency bubbling up from within me, I frantically had my alchemist ask a question that I was dreading the answer to on my behalf.
“You said this Dungeon was within this very kingdom,” he began for me, “just up north of here, to be exact. It wouldn't happen to be situated near a place called, 'Castallia,' would it?”
At his words, the fairy narrowed his eyes and asked, “How do you know that?”
His words weren't hostile, just confused and seemingly alarmed. They all but confirmed my greatest fear.
“I regret to say the reputation of that particular Dungeon has made its way even here.”
Shock momentarily covered the council member's face. It soon gave way to a crestfallen look of defeat that didn't suit him or his arrogance one bit. In spite of how much wry pleasure I may have ordinarily found in that, considering what the man in question had put me through, I couldn't bring myself to care in that moment. My mind was already elsewhere.
Castallia was the place Sean's group was supposed to be heading to next due to a dangerous Dungeon causing countless problems for everyone in its vicinity. When I'd initially heard about it, I'd dismissed the idea of it being another one of the Summoned Heroes outright, and I'd told them as much, but it seemed my assumption had been wrong. I wasn't sure if they were still planning on going there to deal with it, but if they were, this meant that a level one hundred fairy with no qualms about mass murder would be waiting for them. Immediately, I began thinking of ways I could go about trying to contact them.
I mean, maybe they're still around? I grasped at straws, No, I can check, but I can't count on that being the case. Why didn't I figure out some way of establishing communications between us when I had the chance!? Ugh!
No, calm down. Uh, let's see. What about the Adventurers Guild or that alchemist? I could try forcing them to get a message through for me, but–
“–So, will you help?” Rodrick's words were a cold splash of reality on my nonexistent face that broke me from my panic.
That was another thing. Even if I wanted to do something about this, what was I supposed do? What could I even do? As I was concerned, the answer was clear: nothing. I could do nothing.
While my mind continued to race, Archie, once again, spoke of his own volition, “You said it took an army of Dungeons and fifth tier individuals to defeat this fairy during the war, did you not? Frankly, this sounds like a matter your elders would be better suited to handle than a single, low-leveled Dungeon, with no comparable army to her name, and that is incapable of harming your kind. Just what is it you expect from her?”
It was a good question, one I should've thought to ask myself. Though I did already have my suspicions that they were just looking for some troublesome individual to throw at this problem while they figured something else out, I did want to hear it directly from the source, so I wated in anticipation.
“Look at me,” the council member said bluntly, “She did this to me. My arm, leg, and wings are gone. These injuries will not heal naturally, if at all. I am not so weak as to end up in this state without at least reciprocating some of the damage. For the System's sake, I was among those who fought to kill that damned witch during the war!
“We Dungeon Fairies, much like the Dungeons we oversee, require ourselves to submit to soul pacts for the sake of peace. We cannot harm anyone else subject our agreements, fellow council members included. I do not how, but Pet–that witch's contract remains in effect. She is simply not bound to its terms. You, on the other hand, cannot be harmed by a fairy by merit of your ability, not a mere contract she can seemingly bypass.
“We physically cannot stop her. I do not know how you would, nor do I particularly care so long as you do so without destroying what little order we've managed to restore in the world in the process. Shatter her core if you need to and your ability will allow it. That's enough to send any fairy to death's door.
“Once you hit the second tier, which I know may not be for a while, you will get the option to select a new trait. I believe you have the Limitless title and the better choices that come with it. It won't be as versatile as a specialization that allows your monsters to leave your Dungeon, but you should be offered an option that'll allow for something similar.
“Choose it, or don't. You could instead put that Heroic Summoner class of yours to work. Again, I don't care. I only come to you because you are the only individual I am aware of who her power would mean little to.
“Deal with this, or at least, work to limit the damage she can do while I figure something else out, and the Dungeon Fairies will once more offer you their aid. Our people's hands are still tied with the loss of one of the Great Dungeons and some other urgent matters, so the assistance we will be able to offer you will be limited, but you will have access to our stores of knowledge and whatever else you require within reason that won't divert too many of our resources. Do you accept?”
That was far too much to consider for me to be able to answer immediately, especially when I still didn't trust this man to begin with. For all I knew, I was only hearing one side of the story or even a completely fabricated lie. I wasn't about to agree to anything without getting my facts straight first. At the same time, though, if what I'd just been told was true, I was going to need to figure something out eventually, even if it meant indirect interference or, failing that, finding a way to flee the continent. The picture he'd pained was that grim.
Regrettably, poker night fell down a single priority slot in my mind given this news. It seemed I was going to have to kill a Crystal Puffer for that missing experience point sooner rather than later. Still, though, my priorities hadn't shifted entirely, and this wasn't a problem I could solve in a single night anyway. Whether or not another disaster needing to be resolved was forced onto us, our celebratory card game was not going to be cut short prematurely by this fairy of all people.
“The mistress would like some time to consider all of this,” I had Archie state for me, “Now, as for the agreement, we have heard you out. Please leave.”
Rodrick heaved a deep sigh at that, then nodded.
“Fine,” he agreed, “Contact Fabian when you've made your decision. I hope it will be the right one. Now, where is that fairy circle?”
I froze momentarily at that question, leaving Archie to fumble for an answer on his own.
“Well, you see, about that …”
The look of abject horror that covered the fairy's face when he learned he'd need to find another way home was almost enough make me feel sorry for him. Almost.
* * *
Valentine
“For whom is it the stolen paradise blooms?”
What?
I stared at the beastkin woman in confusion as I quickly began feeling for my monsters' presences. She was clad in a dark cloak that perfectly contrasted with the white fur of her poofy tail. On her face, she wore a toothy grin so out of place that it gave me shivers. Something about her sharp canines set me on edge. More importantly, though, she was in my core room, and she'd arrived here without my knowledge.
Intruder! I shouted mentally to anyone I could.
In response, an unamused voice called out from behind me, “Valentine, calm yourself.”
I shuddered internally at Petalli's scolding. Ever since I'd seen what she'd done to that other fairy, I couldn't see her in the same light. It had been as cruel as it was terrifying. More importantly, though, it had been a display of such absolute power that I'd come to fear the woman in a way I hadn't before.
“For whom is it the stolen paradise blooms?” the beastkin woman repeated the cryptic riddle, completely unfazed.
“So, you're one for formalities, I take it?” my fairy groaned.
“It is merely a custom used to confirm identities.”
“And you doubt mine?”
“Not at all, but you can never be too cautious, especially with the number incidents we've had as of late. A member of the Adventurers Guild almost infiltrated our ranks, even. Can you believe that?”
Rolling her eyes, Petalli answered the question, “For the bloody, of course.”
Not understanding the situation, I flicked my vision back and forth between the fairy and the invader–or was this a guest? I didn't think Dungeons did guests, but I also never thought I'd see the day where Petali didn't insist on capturing or, at least, killing an invader that entered my walls, so clearly, there was a first time for everything. That didn't put me any less on guard, though. Instead, the widening smile of the woman only amplified my discomfort.
“It is an honor to make your acquaintance, esteemed witch of the Abyssal Swamp,” the woman said with reverence as she bowed deeply toward Petalli, the meaning of her words lost on me.
Rolling her eyes, my fairy sneered with indignation and snapped, “If you're going to address me by that, at least get it right. It's Soul-Rending Witch of Abyssal Swamp. I didn't go to the trouble of acquiring a unique title to have it disregarded so.”
“My apologies, Soul-Rending Witch of Abyssal Swamp. It is an honor to be in the presence of a mythical figure such as yourself.”
“Humph. At least you know how to show reverence. Very well; you shall do as a liaison. So, what has that old dog of the queen been up to in recent millennia?”
Immediately, the warmth in woman's voice vanished as she firmly said, “Please, do not refer to the Gardener in such a manner.”
“Ugh, fine, Callus. What has Callus been up to?”
There a tense pause; then, the woman answered, “The Gardener has been tending to the garden her majesty left in his care, as is only natural.”
“Right.”
I took the lull in conversation that followed as a chance to ask a question against my better judgment.
Um, Petalli, I broke in, what's going on?
“Hush now, child,” she chided me aloud for the woman to hear, “This is our guest, though I don't believe we've yet to catch her name.”
“Ah, yes, where are my manners? You may call me Tulip,” she clarified as she pinched the edges of her cloak and gave us a curtsy, “I am but a humble student and tool in the hands of the Gardener. I look forward to a long an prosperous partnership between us.”
Silently, in my mind, Petalli spoke words she clearly didn't want our guest to hear, “She is high-ranking member of a cult, the Remnants of Paradise. I have a history with their leader. By now, the Fairy Council will have either heard of my betrayal, or they soon will. We need allies, and a cult led by the most powerful rogue Dungeon Fairy–not counting myself, of course–is the best we're likely to do, so be on your best behavior. Understood?”
There was so much wrong with that explanation that I didn't know where to begin. Her words left no room for argument, though, so I did the only thing I could. I answered with a simple, Um, yes, Patalli.
“Good,” her insidious voice responded in my mind, “because, now that we no longer need to put on an act, we can finally cut loose. You're nearly second tier already, but if we're going to stand a chance against the forces at be, we're going to need to pick up the pace a little.”
I did not like the sound of that one bit.