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Chapter 118: Second Informal Meeting ④

There was silence for a while after No Face left.

I carefully searched the room with the [Detection] skill, but didn’t feel anything suspicious.

「Who was that guy?」

「Princess Luna, can you please tell us what you know?」

「…I apologize for deciding on my own just now. I will tell you everything I know about that man. That masked man is called No Face in the Empire…」

According to Princess Luna, No Face has a history of dozens of crimes, including the assassination of nobles, the massacre of slave traders, and the theft of a large amount of money from the Empire’s treasury. But he has never been caught. Even his real face and age are not known.

In addition, it is not known whether he is a long-lived species considering his activity period, or whether multiple people are claiming to be the same person. He seems to have become a symbol of fear and ominosity in the Empire.

Though, it seems that there are some who see him as a hero.

「So, in the end, we don’t know why No Face would sneak into this room?」

「Yes. However, I think that it was lucky that we were able to get through without anyone being killed.」

「Hmm, well, I guess that’s true… But there’s something I just don’t understand.」

「What did that man look like from your point of view, Aun?」

「Well, he was undeniably strong. I tried appraising him, and his level was considerably higher than mine. However, we would probably be on par in a one-on-one.」

「Appraisal?……Did you succeed!?」

「It was partially hidden, but I was able to see through his race, level, and skills to some extent. But he probably appraised my status as well.」

「It’s thanks to Aun-san that we were saved. If there was a clear difference in power, we would have all been killed without being able to negotiate…」

No Face, huh… I’ll keep him in mind. I can’t calm down this vague prickly feeling in my heart unless I settle it with that gloomy bastard someday.

Rather, because of him we got so far off topic… And this place is no longer safe. It will take time to secure another safe place.

「So, this place has been compromised. Do you want to continue the discussions?」

「It is not a good idea to continue talking about such an important subject anymore. However, it will take some time to secure a place that is safer than here. I think this place is safe at this moment, but I will have to prepare another place for future discussions.」

「However, since we have to decide on a strategy before the start of the Council of Seven Sphin Nations, I don’t think we have time for that.」

　
Well, it can’t be helped… I was already thinking of sharing my secrets with these people.

I mean, Ruzark and Zen have already noticed that I’m not a normal person. I can trust these two, and more than anything, they are my friends. Now would be a good time to open up.

「There is a place which you should never talk about.」

「Really!?」

「Yeah. However, I have to share my secret to the members present here. I trust you all, of course, but I want you to swear not to tell anyone else about this.」

「So you still had some sort of secret, after all. I will never reveal it outside. Aun and I are kindred souls.」

「I swear that I won’t tell anyone else either. Aun is the savior who saved this country and is also my friend.」

「I also sweat on the honor of the Knights Order.」

「My fate is already intertwined with those who are present here. Thus I also swear on my life not to tell anyone else about it.」

Everyone here is trying to accomplish something by putting their lives on the line.

I must strengthen my resolve too.

After taking a breath, I looked around once before speaking further.

「To start with, I have two secrets. This is something that I have only revealed to the members of [Star Supremacy]. I will reveal one of them here.」

Everyone was giving me a serious look. I feel kinda nervous…

Anyone who hears this would definitely think it’s absurd, but those here should believe my words.

「I am a dungeon master who manages and operates three dungeons in this kingdom.」

「Dungeon……Master?」

「Yeah. Ruzark, you know that there is a core room in the dungeon that can be entered after defeating the boss, right? In the dungeon near the Nyahar Village, during the stampede, the S-rank party [Silver Sand Wind] must have reported that they stopped the stampede by destroying the core, right?」

「Yes, I know that.」

「I am able to absorb the dungeon core for some reason. And then I become the dungeon master who manages and operates that particular dungeon.」

「I-It’s quite unbelievable, hearing this so suddenly…」

「So… How does that relate to a safe place?」

「Hmm, well, to put it simply, one of the dungeons has its entrance completely closed so that only my companions can enter. The only way to get inside is to make a contract with me called『Master-Servant Contract』and teleport to that dungeon.」

「I see……」

「And that’s not the only advantage of making a contract with me. Since we will be able to communicate telepathically, we will be able to communicate even when we are far away and do it without being noticed by others. There are basically no drawbacks.」

「Excuse me, can I ask something?」Legenda.

「Sure.」

「Is the master-servant relationship permanent?」

…Well, I can understand what Legenda wants to say. After all, Ruzark is the prince of this country. Considering the situation in this country and Ruzark’s position, a master-servant contract with me would be inappropriate.

「No, it’s not permanent. You can cancel the contract if you want. However, as for the secret you have learned, you will have to take it to the grave.」

「I don’t mind. Thinking about it now, there are many advantages to this teleportation. Considering that we’ll be heading into enemy territory in the future, making a contract with Aun will also lead to our own safety.」Ruzark.

「Exactly. You can think of it as having obtained a magic tool that can help you teleport, so to speak. Well, I am thinking of canceling the contract with the members present here once this case is over.」

「Aun-san, so is your other secret even more important than this?」

「Yeah, it’s about our foundation. That’s why I want to talk in the dungeon after completing the contract, not here.」

「Understood. In the first place, I was the one who seeked for cooperation… I risked my life and defected to the Arto Kingdom. And Aun-sama trusted and shared with me an important secret. In this case, I have no choice but to accept the contract.」Luna.

「I also trust Aun. The contract doesn’t seem to be a disadvantage to us, and if it can be canceled at any time, there is no reason not to.」Ruzark.

「I will follow His Highness Ruzark’s decision.」

「I see. How about you, Zen? If you feel reluctant or don’t like it even a little, you can refuse.」

「Hmm… I will accept the contract as well. However, once this case is over, I would like for it to be released.」

「Yeah, no problem. You said you already have a clear idea of what you want to do, so I have no problem with that.」

In this way, it was decided that everyone in this place would accept the contract.