Dungeon Danger: The Aftermath (4/4) [END]

Lyon POV:

"You've outdone yourself, Oddjob."

I sat across from one of the soldiers that guarded the entrance to the dungeon earlier. His hair was dark brown and short, and he wore a typical set of standard armour. Dark bags hung from his soulless, black eyes as he stared at me.

My gaze shifted to my hands shackled to the table in front of me. I had been given some clothes to wear once I woke up and was then immediately brought here.

"You saved both the Skyblade family and the Hojo Clan's heirs. Congratulations, your reputation has now increased even more."

"Barrel is just as important as Kana and Terra."

He stared at me for a while before a thin smile spread across his lips. He tapped the table and nodded his head in agreement.

"...Yes. All party members should be treated equally. Anyway, you were out for a few hours and, as a result, you're the last person I need to question."

'...'

I prepared myself to start making mental notes on anything strange that came out of the soldier's mouth. I ignored the wave of tiredness washing over me and focused on the interrogation at hand.

"You may call me Donovan. So... What exactly happened in the dungeon?"

"We entered the dungeon as normal, but oddities occurred once we arrived in the safe zone. Our information in the status window was either distorted or hidden against our will. We also couldn't exit the dungeon from the safe zone, so we had no choice but to go forward.

A penalty was then applied due to another party not following the dungeon requirements. A floor boss called Orc Leader appeared, which turned out to be a Deviant Orc that not only had the power of a Bloodborne but could also transform into a Highborne Orc.

After defeating it, the system announced I had beaten the 'hidden' boss monster, and we were then allowed to leave the dungeon."

I summarized the actual events while still getting across the main points I believed to be important. Donovan yawned, tapped the table, and took his time to respond to the information I gave him.

"...You don't need to lie. Your achievements are already quite good."

I narrowed my eyes at his words, instantly feeling that something was amiss here. What reason would I have to lie? The condition everyone else was in would only further prove what I was saying.

"Look... A Bloodborne Orc is a low rank C monster. Their Ki Stage is typically around Shin to Monzen once they mature into adults. A Highborne Orc is a completely different matter altogether. Their Ki Stage can be anywhere from Boukyaku to above. As for Deviant Orcs... Some say their potential can eclipse that of a Highborne, but for argument's sake, let's say the average Ki Stage for them is around Jikki."

His finger continued to hit the table in a constant rhythm as his soulless eyes peered into my own.

"Do you get what I'm saying? You're only at the upper Nagi Stage, yet you're claiming to have beaten not a Bloodborne Orc, but a Deviant Orc in the process of transforming into a Highborne. In addition, you're even claiming that it was a 'hidden boss.' I don't like jokes, Oddjob, so let's start again. What really happened in that dungeon?"

My lips curved into a thin smile at his assessment. I immediately understood what was going on here, but currently, there was nothing I could do about it.

"Is it funny that you've been caught out?"

"Did you know that Deviant Orcs can speak?"

Donovan's eyes shook, and the tapping stopped. I watched his eyebrows furrow as he leaned forward.

"...You could have gotten that information from anywhere."

"Terra, famous for the knowledge she's acquired reading thousands of books, assumed that the Orc was a Bloodborne. However, Barrel was the one who told me that it wasn't a Bloodborne Orc well before it revealed its true nature.

It had a skill that froze everyone in place, and a large crystal in the shape of an inverted triangle that it pushed out of its chest."

Donovan slammed the table and got to his feet. He circled around the small room a few times before sitting back down.

"Okay... How did you kill it?"

"I sliced it in half."

"...You're not funny, Oddjob."

I glared at him, causing his whole body to flinch. He widened the distance between us; cold sweat ran down his neck as I parted my lips once more.

"I sliced it in half."

The weight of my words crushed down on him, shaking the shackles restraining my Ki. They vibrated, striking the surface of the table in an attempt to limit my strength. The air soon returned to normal, and Donovan gulped.

"...Those Ki Restraints are meant for Shin practitioners..."

My lips formed a slight smile. The years of accumulated experience from using the Mark of a Pantheon began to seep back inside of me, pushing me to upper Uso in an instant.

"Ha..."

He sat back down. Donovan rubbed the bridge of his nose as another long sigh escaped his mouth.

"I've received orders from above. You're not to tell anyone about what truly happened in the dungeon today. Right now, people think you defeated a Bloodborne Orc and it will stay that way."

"And if I refuse?"

He glared at me with dark eyes, forcing the air to thicken around us.

"This is an order directly from the Council. It'd be in your best interest to listen, Oddjob."

'...'

I shattered the restraints and got up from the table. It was as I expected; the Council had already intended on hiding information from the public and that meant I couldn't act carelessly.

"Did you tell the others the same thing?"

The pressure vanished while we locked eyes with one another.

"...Fortunately, they understand that there are beings they can't go against."

"Nothing lasts forever."

"Watch your mouth, Oddjob."

Donovan split the table in half with a flick of his finger, no longer holding back his Ki as the entire area shook. He was a very good actor, but I had met many people in my life, so I already grasped his character thoroughly.

"May I leave now?"

His eyebrows twitched as I stood there, unaffected by the pressure he was releasing. His mouth opened while he maintained eye contact with me.

"...You may. Just remember my words, Oddjob. I'd hate to have to pay those close to you a visi..."

I tapped his shoulder, and his trembling eyes swivelled up towards me.

"You can threaten me as much as you want, but please don't talk about those precious to me."

I pushed down on him, crushing his muscles ever so slightly as he winced in pain. He grabbed my wrist, stopping my hand from moving any further.

"...I take it we have a deal then, Oddjob."

A thin smile spread across my lips, and Donovan released his grip. I bowed my head before leaving the room and making my way outside Central Guild.

***

The sunset was almost complete as a few streaks of orange light with red hues cut through the sky. I turned my attention to a woman standing near the edge of the main square, wearing a hoodie and a snapback. She tried to hide her face with a mask, but the clothes she was wearing made her stick out like a sore thumb.

'How sweet.'

The smile on my face widened, and the gap between us vanished. I tapped her forehead as her eyes expanded.

"Fii, why are you here?"

"M-My King! I-I... You see... I received word that you encountered some trouble in a dungeon, s-so I rushed over, worried about your safety."

I pulled the mask down, revealing her beauty. A light shade of red added colour to the bridge of her nose while her long eyelashes fluttered. It wasn't possible for Fii to not only hear about this incident in such a short time frame but also reach here so fast.

"I missed you."

I hugged her tight, and her whole body stiffened. It had been months since I had seen anyone from Outer Astril, and I missed them all.

"My King... T-This... I-I'm not worthy..."

"What are you talking about, Fii? After everything we've been through together, a hug is nothing."

I felt steam rise from her cheeks as she linked her arms around me. She pressed her head against my neck while her body trembled.

"Mm..."

A soft, but almost inaudible, moan entered my ear. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks in response. We stayed like this for a few moments before I pulled away.

"How are things in Outer Astril?"

Fii bowed her head before looking at me with a serious expression. Fortunately, the main square was mostly empty at this time, so I wasn't concerned about people getting the wrong idea.

"Everything is running even more smoothly than before. The Silin is only harvested when I'm present with the select members you've chosen. Due to its purity, we now have a significant monopoly on the market. That is why I drastically lowered our export rate.

As for that matter, I have already started making small purchases every month. No other issues have arisen, my King."

I pondered for a while over the Silin market. We had amassed large amounts of gold and had what appeared to be the fastest Silin production mine in all of Idora. Fii had made the right decision to pull back on the export, regardless of how high the demand was coming in.

The merchants we used were taught from the ground up in Outer Astril, and I had personally hand-picked them too. They used a merchant group name that had no connection to Outer Astril and based themselves in different areas of the Cotis Empire in order to sell.

Since we only sold in small quantities, the risk factor was significantly lower. We also disappeared, for sometimes months at a time, before returning to the market. It made it seem like the process we went through to get such purity in the Silin was a manual, time-consuming one.

I decided that this was the best course of action rather than having everyone assume we had stumbled upon an incredibly rich Silin mine. As a result, business was going well, and we had completely renovated all the districts.

'Hmm.'

I was also glad that Fii had lowered the amount we harvested. The original quantity I had set was already low, but it was good to remember that this was only possible due to the will of the artifact; I wanted to make it clear that I wouldn't take any liberties.

"My King, when will you return? Your presence is sorely missed in all of the regions. We have received countless letters asking you to make an appearance. Among them, there were a lot of love confes—"

I held up my hand, and Fii's words came to a stop. I sighed inwardly before smiling.

"I'll be back in a few days."

"R-really?!"

Fii covered her mouth, unable to hide the excitement that seeped into her voice. Her cheeks turned rosy red as she looked at me in a shy manner; her bright lilac eyes shimmering under the waning sunlight. I tapped her shoulder and grinned.

"Really. Since you're here, stay with me for a while. I have a cute pet that I want you to see."

I turned around, and Fii rushed to my side. The last few bursts of sunlight shone down on the two of us as we made our way through the now empty streets.

"M-my King... How could I possibly stay with you?... Do you wish for me to share the s-same bed as you too?... For you... I would do anyth—"

"Fii, there are multiple bedrooms in my house."

"Y-yes... O-of course, my King."

"By the way, it's rare to see you wear clothes like that."

"...Yes, I don't prefer it much myself. I was in a rush and Jasmine suggested this outfit."

"Heh, no wonder. Personally, I think you look great in whatever you wear, Fii."

"M-my King...! T-thank you!"

...

..

.

***

30 years later.

I sat behind the desk in my office and observed a picture framed neatly on it. The strong sunlight coming through the window behind me blocked most of its content when I felt a shift in the air.

"I received word that the Emperor is heading to Yarrin Village to pay his respects. The last time he visited was already long ago."

My gaze shifted to the man, who dropped to one knee in the middle of the room. A soft smile formed on my face once I heard the name of that village.

"You're right, but it's not a matter to be concerned about. Yarrin Village... is a special place to many people."

"It is as you say, my Lord."

The silence that briefly flowed between us was cut short by the sound of a cute voice crying out in a hurry.

"Daddy! Daddy! Let's play!"

"...Your daughter is as energetic as ever, my Lord."

My lips spread into a wide grin at his words.

"I don't know who she gets it from. Tell the Blue Wolves to take the day off. They've earned a holiday."

"Yes, my Lord!"

He vanished when the sound of very light footsteps running up the stairs entered my ears. I got up from the desk, and my eyes turned golden brown for a few seconds before returning to their normal colour.

"D-Daddy, can we please go to the sea?!"

"Alright, sweetie, alright. I'm coming now."

I walked towards the door while the corners of my mouth rose. Everybody has their own story, and this just happened to be a portion of mine. As long as you're alive, there is hope, and that leads to strength. We push forward, believing that while tomorrow may not be better than today. One day, things will change.

My legacy is still being written, but what about yours?

End.