It’s Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

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– 1 –

“That mage lady was super pretty, right?”
“Right.”

As Amelia agreed with her younger sister, she couldn’t shake off an uneasy feeling.

The aura she sensed from the mage they encountered this time was anything but ordinary.

‘Something… gave me chills.’

She couldn’t explain it, but it was the instinct of a mage expressing the characteristics of ‘purification.’

Those who could manifest the ability to purify corruption or evil weren’t just clerics.

Among those skilled in handling elements, some with special talents could also demonstrate the ‘purification’ trait, and she was one of those mages with that seed.

If she had realized it in time, it was a special talent that could have allowed her to flourish by interacting with clerics.

‘… I think I should invite a cleric.’

If she sensed something foreboding, it was natural to call in a cleric to confirm it.

For commoners, they would have to rely on a passing cleric, but as a noble, she could simply pay extra for a quicker visit.

Amelia, usually frugal, had enough wealth for that.

Considering she was a rural noble who hadn’t experienced war, it was a commendable judgment.

“I need to stop by the Information Guild in the city. Prepare for it.”

She just didn’t realize that she was already in someone else’s grasp.

– 2 –

“A cleric…”

Amelia’s actions were remarkably swift.

To consider her just a girl in her early teens was too simplistic, and as a noble’s daughter, her qualities were impressive.

If she properly developed her talents as a mage afterwards, those qualities would surely blossom brilliantly.

But there was no need for regret.

I could be a splendid sun and water for her.

Even if my temperament was a bit different.

“Bring them to me.”

Thus, I nodded.

To fulfill Amelia’s request and have her reach the nearby shrine.

“Is that alright?”
“Wouldn’t it be good to have one in place?”

Even if a cleric arrived at the simple request of a rural noble, they wouldn’t bring someone of high standing.

Unless by chance, a high-ranking cleric was nearby.

And even if such a high-ranking cleric appeared, they would be a threat that could be easily managed if in small numbers.

“Indeed. Your Excellency, your wisdom shall illuminate the land.”
“Enough flattery. You may leave now.”
“I’ll bring better news next time.”

As the Cerebrum Skull I had planted in the local Information Guild vanished, I looked down at the city through the window of my Inner Castle.

– Ha! Ha!

From afar, the sound of soldiers training could be heard.

Somehow, the shouts didn’t seem very spirited; it felt like a mere obligation…

But considering there were territories that didn’t even have that, it was pretty commendable.

“Hehehe!”
“Hey! Bring it here!”

Nearby, a couple of kids were causing a ruckus as they ran around.

Seeing their neat attire, they were likely either close to nobility or from wealthy families.

“…”
“Mom… I’m hungry…”

In a nearby alley stood a woman and child, gazing helplessly at those kids.

Dressed in rags, they were oblivious to the fact that merely being alive made them lucky.

They couldn’t know that there were countless incidents in this world that could separate families living in poverty.

“What are you thinking?”
“Nothing at all.”

As I surveyed the territory, I sensed the presence of someone kneeling by the window.

When I raised my hand, I felt the natural gesture of her grasping my hand and kissing its tips and back.

“Be it demon or human, as long as they remain in the grasp of a wise ruler, it suffices, Master.”

Then, she drew upon some of my unvoiced thoughts and soothed me.

Before she spoke, those had just been disordered flowing thoughts, simultaneously a potential unease.

“Is that so?”

Hearing her words stirred something deep within me.

“Indeed. All they need is a life without war. They’ll adapt quickly enough.”
“But the land I’m in will be the source of war?”
“When we start a war, won’t there already be no enemies around here?”

I nodded at Evangeline’s words.

What I aimed to achieve through this scheme is vast territory.

Even if the presence spread when I reached a higher rank, even if someone within sensed it, it should be a span wide enough to avoid alerting the human royal palace or the Grand Shrine.

So, when I start a war, it will occur only after I’ve amassed the strength of a small nation.

Simultaneously, I could guess what she hadn’t voiced.

“They’re already accustomed to peace.”
“Indeed.”
“I just need to let them enjoy what they had.”
“Absolutely.”
“But I shouldn’t leave the masses unattended. I’ll need to give Sonia a task.”

Whether basking in warm sunlight or sleeping under a dark blanket, it’s all peace.

At first, they might feel a little unease, but as I fend off external threats and organize the internal matters, they will grow accustomed to a routine no different from before.

What I must do is lower the ‘rejection of prey’ in their hearts until they adapt to my rule.

Of course, the ‘hostile feelings of the predator’ on the other side also needed to be addressed.

“Then. It seems the only targets left to tackle are the nobles and adventurers.”
“When shall we start?”
“First, I must tighten my grasp on these families.”
“Yes. I will prepare to subdue the knights.”
“Do that.”

The countdown to dominate human territories had already begun.

The keepers of the castle, lacking any notable powers, had already transformed into demons of their own volition.

To save their families and maintain their own lives.

‘It was easier than I expected.’

What I sought from them wasn’t their inherent talents, but merely their intellect, so transforming them into different forms that could still utilize human skins and wisdom was perfectly fine.

That way, loyalty would be easier to acquire, and converting them into monsters would significantly reduce costs.

‘It’s probably better to keep the lord’s family as humans.’

The baron himself didn’t matter much, but the baroness was the daughter of a count who ruled over all the nearby territories… precisely, the daughter of the former count.

That made it a status that couldn’t yet determine her role in my plans.

‘If I were to use her as a hostage against the count, it would be more valuable to keep her as human.’

The same reasoning applied to her children; they too should remain human for broader usability.

Of course, depending on the situation, flexible alternatives would need to be chosen.

‘For that purpose…’

For a few days, I would have to engage in some childish play.

The first task entrusted to me by the baron, who had appointed me as the court mage, was to bring out the talent of his daughter.

“Hello, young lady! Take this!”
“What is it, mister?”
“It’s the tastiest apple from our latest harvest! Enjoy it as a snack!”

‘Will you choose to win, or will you choose to be altruistic?’

In my eyes, the heir to the territory was reflecting with smiles from all the passersby.

I was excited to witness her choice.

– 3 –

“Lady Amelia. Were you here first?”
“Hello, teacher. I was preparing.”

Upon hearing the voice, Amelia lifted her head, and a smile she learned from her mother appeared on her face.

Artificial, but not at an inappropriate level of politeness.

If nobles who valued etiquette were to see it, they would applaud her for having learned well, but if raised in the countryside, it would likely be a smile rarely used in the future.

It was a so-called ‘noble smile.’

Though she wore such a smile, Amelia thought her own couldn’t compare to the woman’s before her.

‘She surely seems like a noble…’

The smile on the lips of the person designated as her first mage master looked genuinely harmless.

When merely looking at her face, if she were indeed wicked, it would make everything in this world seem wicked too.

‘But…’

However, the atmosphere she had felt during their first encounter still lingered.

It felt as though she were looking at something alien, and a persistent strange fear continued as she gazed.

This made Amelia want to run from her, but an unproven hypothesis couldn’t serve as justification to refuse the lesson.

‘If I refuse this lesson out of simple anxiety, my father will probably say I’m being overly spoiled and childish…’

Ability was a valuable asset, and opportunities to learn from a senior ability user were scarce in this world.

Thus, it was something that couldn’t be declined by just the diminished authority of a rural noble; doing so could turn one mage into an enemy.

When the opportunity to acquire it for just the cost of ‘monthly salary that must be paid anyway’ arose, it made it even clearer.

‘I’ll wait until the cleric arrives.’

Thus, Amelia’s judgment was rational.

At least within the bounds of the information given.

“Then, before we start the first lesson.”
“Yes.”

Whether she knew Amelia’s gaze and thoughts or not, the highborn mage, who introduced herself as ‘Mist’, immediately began the tasks assigned to her.

“First, let’s hear what Amelia has learned.”
“Ah, yes. First… ‘Invisibility’, ‘Fireball’, ‘Purification Water Creation’…”

Initially, Amelia opened her mouth with confidence.

But each time she listed what she had learned afterward, her confidence faded.

The kind face of the other person gradually darkened, after all.

“Um…”
“Did I do something wrong?”

Still, she managed to hold on this far.

Although she hadn’t formally joined the Magic Guild, she had learned what she could sequentially through recommendations from official mages.

What she didn’t yet realize was that the recommenders were private individuals and not actual masters, which was the root of the problem.

“I’m not sure yet. First, let’s confirm what kind of talent you actually have, shall we? Here.”
“What’s this?”
“It’s a measuring device used only within the Guild.”

Solemio had a relatively rich supply of mages considering its location.

Though all of them were research-oriented rather than combat mages.

“I see.”
“And the results…?”
“While the mages showed some goodwill towards you, the fundamentals weren’t communicated.”

“Is that so?”
“Do you want to see it?”
“Ah, yes…”

As such, she initially doubted the authenticity of the ‘measuring device.’

Because when she had visited the guild mages, she had never seen such an item.

The new mage master seemed suspicious in some way, and it was natural for her to trust the guild mages she’d been close to since childhood.

“This square’s corners indicate where your qualities belong. Here, ‘Exterio’ and ‘Celestia’ are shining. This means that your magical foundation is aligned with ‘Outer’ and ‘Soul’…”

However, after listening to her master’s detailed and coherent explanations, Amelia had no choice but to accept it.

‘It seems that not everything I learned from the guild’s mage as a child or what I acquired was good…’

She realized that what she had learned so far had been misguided.

No matter how much she listened, it wasn’t some hastily fabricated falsehood or convincing forgery.

Having experienced the guild’s official measurements, Amelia felt a slight sense of betrayal.

‘After all, the things I obtained through individual goodwill could never have been part of an official curriculum. I was foolish.’

After a moment of thought, she succeeded in cleansing that betrayal.

She wasn’t foolish enough to think that such goodwill was something she was entitled to.

Thus, she believed.

“So, the fields you need to learn are… purification and light. You can keep one of either fire or water depending on your preference.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Even if they were mostly the easier things to teach, they would have told you what you can learn easily.”

“Ah…”

Upon hearing her words, filled with kindness and gentleness, Amelia realized that her timid feeling of betrayal had been exposed and blushed.

‘Wait a moment…’

Soon, she felt the rigidity of her resolve soften as she realized her reaction.

Like someone entranced, the steady heart she had maintained was unwinding.

Feeling some sort of atmosphere from the mage in front of her, she had been sufficiently tense despite her relaxation.

“Now, let’s pinpoint your coordinates. The clearer you are about where you are and what’s around you, the more accurately you can familiarize yourself with it.”
“Ah, yes.”

However, even after feeling that once, Amelia found it increasingly difficult to rein in her unwinding heart.

On one hand, the existence of her master brought her comfort, while on the other hand, the first lesson resounded an alarm in her wariness.

‘Hurry and come… Cleric…!’

The clearest action she could take now was simple prayer.