It’s Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

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– 1 –

The Lord of Solemio, Valeon Teramor, was the current head of the baronial family that had protected this Solemio Castle for a long time.

However, ideally, he should have been destined to finish his life as a viscount. He was the second son, not the firstborn son of the previous head of the family.

In other words, he was able to inherit the barony simply because his elder brother died early due to illness.

[Lord? He is an excellent person. He always respects his subordinates. Yes? Um…]

[Though he doesn’t lack ambition, I would say he’s the type to adapt to reality.]

Overall, his evaluation after having managed the castle for eight years was quite good.

After an unexpected figure returned to the family, he managed to operate it more smoothly than expected.

He hadn’t been trained as a successor or an administrator; he only had a record of having been a wandering knight in his youth.

Yet, today was the first time such an event had occurred for him.

“You’re the administrator of Solux…? This is different from what I remember. Is she really the administrator?”

“I don’t need to assert myself; there’s natural evidence, and you’ll see for yourself, My Lord.”

No matter how he thought about it, if she had been around here, he would have known her.

And no matter how he racked his memory, her face was not one he recognized.

His assertion was reasonable, but when the woman confidently claimed it, he found himself doubting his own memory.

“Yes. That’s right, My Lord. If you check, there should be documents submitted for approval.”

“The name of the recently deceased official was Charlie. There’s also a report saying a mage hiding in the field temporarily took over his duties.”

“Is that true?”

While looking at the documents laid out before him, Valeon nodded only after confirming the papers another official presented.

He had no clue that these documents were manipulated by Libertus and his subordinate officials.

Indeed, it was natural for confusion to arise in his mind when he saw everyone, except himself, speaking in unison against his firmly held belief.

“Really? Why don’t I remember it?”

“It’s probably because it was during the expedition to Copgerin, so you might have missed it.”

“Oh, is that so? Well, since it seems I’m the only one who doesn’t remember, your words must be correct. My apologies, Mage.”

A mage of high ability or a renowned adventurer is typically treated on par with lower nobles, even without any title.

Of course, this only applies to those who have reached an elite level, and below that, there are no exceptions.

This is a reassessment of status based on the impact of the superhumans and the guilds they formed on the continent.

“Now that I think about it, the atmosphere isn’t normal. Somehow, it feels eerie.”

Furthermore, since the opponent’s aura was clearly not that of an ordinary person, the baron thought she must be someone of at least equal standing.

“It’s fine. I’m not unaware of the efforts of the government officials and nobles who maintain the country.”

Valeon’s judgment was further reinforced by the old-fashioned tone of the opponent’s speech and the atmosphere as if it were completely natural.

“No matter how I look at it, she’s not an ordinary person.”

His judgment was not wrong; she was certainly not an ordinary ‘person.’

However, he could not determine which parts of his judgment were correct and which parts were incorrect, so this was the only question he could ask.

“I know this might be a rude question, but may I ask where you’re from?”

“I hail from the most hospitable land, yet one where humans cannot live.”

The continent where Libertus resides was a land that barely had any cold regions.

When viewing the records detailing every climate from the southern to the northern tip of the continent, there were no cool lands compared to the temperate climate.

When one says that it was the most hospitable land, it meant the extreme northern or southern parts of the continent.

However, both of those places were practically too far, and the other one was dangerous.

“Therefore, it’s correct to say that the cool temperatures inside the dungeon are the most hospitable.”

“Oh my. You’ve been through a tragedy.”

“He’s a nobleman who lost his land due to the Magical Realm.”

It’s only natural that the baron misunderstood this way.

Also, in this world, it was not uncommon to see nobility whose territories were lost due to the erosion of the Magical Realm.

When lands eroded by the Magical Realm are occasionally reclaimed by the country, it’s not necessarily returned to the original lord.

Rather, it was common to use that as an excuse to return it to a safer yet unremarkable territory.

“It’s a common occurrence in today’s world.”

Not realizing that what Rita said was actually “there will never be a time when humans become the majority in this region,” it was indeed the most logical deduction.

“Wait a minute. Then, does that mean a talented individual has just dropped into my lap?”

Nobles responsible for the borders with the Magical Realm are mostly capable individuals.

If they weren’t capable in the first place, they wouldn’t be assigned to a land where wars against monsters never cease.

This environment urged not only the head of the family but also the family members to awaken, and those exposed to endless trials would inevitably become competent or find their own uses, even if they were incompetent at first.

“Plus… that aura. It’s obvious she has noble blood. From the perspective of a nomad, an alliance with local nobility wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

With such abilities that are assumed to be inherently possessed, and an atmosphere that radiated undeniable nobility and beauty, it’s natural for him to have desires that exceed his own standing.

“For now, I’ll bring her into the territory and gradually get closer to her. If I can adopt her as a daughter and catch the king’s eye…”

“You mentioned you’re currently working as the administrator of the village managing the iron ore.”

“That’s correct.”

“However, it seems you’re not in a position to work in such a place. Would you be interested in working at this castle instead?”

The direction of his thoughts was not lust but ambition.

Although he was in his late thirties, he was still relatively young among the nobles, but he already had a wife, as well as two mistresses.

In this situation, taking in another woman into the household would be burdensome.

Both realistically and in terms of status.

“My Lord? But this person…”

“I’ll grant the position of my court mage. How about that?”

Ignoring the urgent voice of a servant trying to say something, the baron hastily continued speaking.

As a result, he wasn’t aware that the servant had stopped acting due to the gestures of the woman before him, not because of him.

“Thank you for warmly welcoming an unnamed mage like me. I’ll gladly accept.”

Continuing to stay in Solemio as the administrator wasn’t bad, but it also seemed appealing to use the desires the human in front of him had toward himself.

What she wanted was control over the city.

“At least it doesn’t seem to be pure lust, so staying at the castle for a while should be fine. It won’t take long anyway.”

After all, the lord in front of him was either to be disposed of or used, that was the only two options.

Though the lord had been leisurely resting long enough for his muscles to turn to fat, his innate level was elite, so she could not become a target of the “work” she performed within the castle at night.

“If we keep such a talent nameless, my title as a noble will weep. So, I will arrange a room in the inner castle. From today onward, please reside there. If you have any requests, feel free to tell me.”

“Thank you.”

In any case, upon receiving Libertus’s reply, the lord immediately gestured to the attendant with a bright face as he continued with his next words.

One of the officials, eager to make a good impression on her, immediately asked the lord.

“My Lord, what will happen to the guards who came with her?”

“No need to speak further. Prepare a room for them.”

For Libertus, this was an undeniably good situation.

He could at least bow in courtesy and manage a smile.

Although the lord’s face, which acted as if he had already obtained everything, wasn’t that great, it wasn’t unappealing when considering he would soon offer everything to her.

“Thank you for considering my subordinates as well. I appreciate it. I look forward to working with you, My Lord.”

“It’s I who should thank you. Let’s work well together, Court Mage.”

Even ‘nobility’ didn’t prevent someone from smiling at those who would soon become their subordinates.

– 2 –

My first task as the court mage wasn’t to assess the magical demands within the castle, but to greet the lord’s wife, Grelda.

As soon as I received that first directive, I understood his intentions.

“He wants to make me his family in some way.”

– How presumptuous. Just say the word, and I’ll get the life you’ve entrusted to me back, Master.

“Don’t make things difficult for me. I almost laughed aloud.”

– My apologies.

A smile crept across my face at the words of Evangeline, who spoke from the shadows.

Fortunately, it was also the moment when the lord’s wife was making a lighthearted joke.

“If I had known he would take so many concubines, I would have surely asked for a larger share of the property when I married.”

“You’re not someone who’s tied down by property, are you?”

“Indeed! I must say that here, but I’m the daughter of a Count. Though when considering my worth…”

The woman, who couldn’t forget her life back at the Count’s estate in Gules after marrying into the southern local nobility.

Yet her sense of duty and self-esteem as a noble were maintained appropriately, mildly looking down on her husband while not neglecting her responsibilities.

“How wonderfully human.”

Once the daughter of Count Gules, the rightful wife of Baron Valeon Teramor of Solemio was that kind of woman.

“Uh. With such days, even glancing at other things…”

I could see the concubines beside her wilting quietly, but I ignored them.

The baron seemed to take care of himself, even having managed to conclude heir arrangements for the children from those relationships.

“I heard he distributed the property but didn’t give them the territory.”

Thanks to the peculiarities of the village, the territory of Baron Solemio, which was relatively large for a title, was to be inherited by the children born from Valeon’s legitimate wife.

It was surprising that the heir was female, but if both were female, there was nothing that could be done about that.

In this world, ranks are determined by power, not by gender.

“Mother. I heard you called for me.”

“Ah, dear.”

“Come here, my children. Let’s greet the mage.”

Just then, the two women I had been thinking of stepped inside. One was a girl, but…

They both had hair closer to their mother’s dirty blonde than their father’s, and both had reddish hues.

“Well, this person is…”

“Yes. This is the mage who will be living in the inner castle from today.”

My attention was momentarily drawn to the young child who was imitating a polite manner with a lisp, and I quickly turned to look at the eldest daughter.

I hadn’t initially been interested, but there was something captivating about her.

“That lovely and adorable lady over there…”

“Thank you for the compliment, Mage. The eldest is Amelia, and the younger one is Yurianne.”

“I’m Amelia, Court Mage.”

“I’m Yurianne. Nice to meet you!”

“It’s my pleasure also to meet you, Lady Amelia and Lady Yurianne.”

The two noble daughters looking at me.

In their eyes, I sensed a singular emotion simultaneously; it was a manufactured sense of reverence.

Though there was not entirely a lack of sincerity, it was clear that they were nobles.

The scent of refined education was strong in their manners.

It should not be ignored just because they were local nobility.

“And… oh my.”

“What’s wrong, Mage?”

“Lady. Your daughter possesses a rare talent.”

“Is that so?”

In particular, the eldest showed signs of having a mage’s ability.

I needed to keep a close eye on her.

That talent had the potential to grow into a power that was antagonistic to the Demon Clan.

“If I’m trapped inside here, then growing as such will be impossible.”

Whether it became the lord himself or the lord’s progeny.

In any case, they would soon belong to me, and the flower of that talent would bloom in another light.

“Or, it will simply wither.”

Of course, if that happened, she would no longer be my concern.

I had many more precious people to care for and subjects that required my attention.