Chapter 38
Berg and I calmed down Elibel for now.
To be honest, it was Berg who’s making so much noise.
He was so loud, saying things like 「Oh Miss Elibel, I’m glad to see you!!!! 」
The sight of a filthy old man hugging a skull was surreal, even for a dragon like me.
His tears were falling like a waterfall as he rubbed his cheeks against Elibel (the skull).
Apparently, even though he was complaining to me, he was still secretly hoping to see her again.
There’s a huge happy smile on his face.
Unfortunately, Elibel yelled at him, 「Shut up, you idiot!!! Go home!! You’re going to break my skull!! 」
There was no mercy.
Berg shrank to the corner of the room.
While crying, he wrote “の” on the floor.
I can feel a strange melancholy emanating from his back.
It was so cute to see Tres consoling him.
Un, I do feel a bit sorry for him.
Well, I guess that’s what happens when you’re in the bottom of a dungeon alone for two hundred years.
You know, when I think about it, he’s actually an amazing person.
He’s been doing his job deep in a dungeon where no one came for over 200 years.
I don’t know how hard that is.
But I can never do that
Well, I guess that’s how loyal Berg is to Elibel.
I wonder if all my subordinates are like that?
――――――――――I will always be by your side, alright?
Suddenly, for some reason, a certain ant who’s acting as my shield came to my mind.
Berg had said that he is Elibel’s first subordinate.
When I think about it, she’s also the first one I have.
Before I knew it, she had become stronger.
Ann.
『…』
No, that’s not important right now.
After a while, Elibel finally grasped her current situation.
In addition, I explained to Elibel the one I had to Berg.
By telepathy, of course.
Sigh, I’ve talked a lot today.
Well, I’m not actually talking since I use thought transmission. Even so, it’s been a long time since I talked this much.
I’m tired.
I want to eat magic stones and sleep.
It’s been a while since I moved and used my physical strength like this.
Eh, I did nothing; you say?
Haha, I crushed magic stones and opened a treasure chest today.
I did my job, okay? I did, didn’t I?
After finishing the explanation, I asked her if she’d be willing to help me build my dungeon.
However, Elibel didn’t answer my question and kept mumbling to herself.
「ARGHH… What a mess. So that’s what this is all about. Why did I say something like that… Damn it… What’s wrong with me… Haha, AHAHAHA…」
She’s been like this for a while now.
I couldn’t get through her at all.
A depressed skull on the table with suspiciously glowing eyes.
And a six-armed giant old man who is depressed in the corner of the room.
It’s the most chaotic scene I’ve ever seen.
「No, this isn’t what I had in mind. I was supposed to die quickly and be “immortalized.” I never thought this would happen… The world is so unpredictable… Damn it. UAAAARGHH… The plan I’ve worked so hard on.」
Hm?
Wait, what was that?
You said something important just now, didn’t you?
『Hey, what do you mean?』
Finally, Elibel turned to me.
「Huh? What do you want from a miserable person like me? It can’t be… It has been two hundred years. That theatrical troupe and restaurant I love have already gone under… And the continuation of the book I read a long time ago too. Huaa～ I wanted to read the rest of “Forbidden Love Between A Slime and A Goblin, Two People Who Melt Together Like Brains!”」
What kind of title is that!?
「Puu?」
Ah, don’t react to it Pururu！
I’ll give you a magic stone, so go play somewhere else.
Don’t listen to her!
『No, wait! What was that before?! You were planning on immortalizing yourself all along? What’s that supposed to mean?』
It wasn’t only me, Berg was also surprised by it.
「Huh? What are you saying? Oh, that?」
Finally, Elibel seems to talk with us.
「It’s just like I said. I’m going to deceive the world and take it easy by immortalizing myself! Besides, it’s me we’re talking about, I definitely will become the highest rank Lich after I die… And I thought, maybe I can get a lover or two if I live long enough… Sigh, I never thought it will become like this. You never know what life has in store for you! Hahaha」
The skull in front of me laughs.
A skull with intense emotions.
I’m starting to feel a headache….
Now I understand what Berg means now.
She’s a weirdo.
Finally, we can have a decent conversation with her.
She seems to have calmed down.
Apart from the thing I said before, I also told Elibel about my subordinates and dungeon.
「Hm, hm. I see…. I’ve been to quite a few different places, but this is the first time I’m seeing a living earth dragon. So, this is how the real thing looks like. It’s not what I imagined at all. Not to mention, your magical power… and color… Such a peculiar monster…」
『You’re the one to talk. You’re just a bone.』
「I don’t mean it like that. And that slime over there, I can’t believe it. It is a Gluttony Hell Slime. Wow, that’s Super-Rare… I didn’t know they existed. And that girl too…. So amazing. If I were alive, I’d be naked and screaming right now. If I had a body, my curiosity would have popped out of my womb, instead of a baby.」
I’m more surprised you can casually say something like that.
That’s unfortunate.
It’s completely sexual harassment.
To think that a lady like you acted this way.
『How should I say this? I was actually surprised too.』
She seems calm. I thought she was going to be very mad.
Well, she was at first.
To be honest, she differs from what I remember.
How can she be so cheerful when she hates this world so much?
Without paying attention to my question, Elibel said
「Oh, right. I haven’t responded to your request for a dungeon advisor yet. Alright, I’ll accept it. For a fee, of course.」
Easy！
Is this for real?! It was that easy?!
I’m an Earth Dragon, okay? A monster.
I know I’m the one asking, but…
How can it be this easy?
「What?! Miss Elibel, are you sure?!」
It was Berg who interrupted me.
Oh, you’re back.
Well, no wonder he is surprised.
I’m surprised, too. I can’t believe how easy that was.
After all, Elibel hates this world.
「Let’s clear up the misunderstanding first… First, your assumption about me is wrong. 」
『My assumption? 』
「That’s right. Actually, I never hate this world.」
「What?!」
『What?』
Berg and I were in harmony.
So… you were lying back then?
「It’s true. I left a message before I die, didn’t I? A message hoping my legacy will be used properly. I wouldn’t have said something like that if I hate it.」
『No, well, that’s true…. Then what about that memory? When I ate that pedestal, I felt all your negative emotions flowing through me.』
「What do you mean?」
A question mark appeared above the skull.
I used the memory transmission to feed back the memories I got from the pedestal to Elibel.
After receiving them, Elibel rattled again.
「H-hey, this memory… where did you get it?」
Asked Elibel as cold sweat trickled down her skull.
『When I ate the pedestal, it was the last thing that came through.』
「What is it doing here? This image, this memory… How did my dark past end up here… Impossible!」
Hm? Hmm?
What’s wrong?
「Berg… Come here for a sec.」
In a very brisk voice, Elibel called for Berg.
「Y- yes, ma’am! Right away!」
Probably because it’s Elibel, Berg seems happy to be called.
If he were a dog, he’d be wagging his tail right now.
And then she whispered something to him.
I can’t hear anything. I wonder what they’re talking about.
However, as it goes on, Berg’s complexion gradually becomes paler.
At the same time, a black aura seeped out from Elibel.
Did something happen?
After a while, Berg leave Elibel alone.
Looks like they’re done.
I’m not sure if it’s my imagination, but Berg looks smaller than before.
「Berg.」
「Yes…」
Berg’s voice was so quiet, as if he would disappear at any moment.
「I’m going to execute you later.」
「Yes…」
They’ve talked about something, it seems.
I wonder what it was.
Elibel spun around to look at me.
After that, Berg curled up in the corner of the room again.
I don’t know if it’s my imagination, but he looks thirty percent smaller than before.
What happened?
『What did you two talked about just now?』
「Nothing.」
『Really? But…』
「N O T H I N G」
『Yes…』
I’m scared.
「Now then, let’s get back to the topic at hand, shall we, Jiryuu?」
Elibel’s voice is clearly different from before.
What is the meaning of this? What are you trying to do?
「Let’s set aside the fee and advice. There’s something more important I need to address. Can’t you get me a body first? I can’t move like this at all. And you can’t bother holding me forever, right?」
That’s true.
『A body, you say… Is it fine if it’s a golem?』
「Yeah, no problem. Just get them ready. I can build the magic circuits and formulas myself. Oh, don’t forget about the rest of my bones.」
『Okay.』
Alright, it’s been a while but let’s try using stones this time.
Let’s go all out!
I took Elibel’s skull with me to the bottom of my dungeon.
By the way, Berg curled up in the corner of the room all this time.
Seriously, what happened?