Episode(94) Needless Worry, Temptation
SOVEREIGN OF DEATH~(94)
You saw that huh?
Nagana smiled wryly and scratched his cheek.
It wasn't worth the concern so I planned to just leave it in the back of my mind, but was genuinely hard to let go of an unresolved concern easily.
It felt like a fish bone stuck in your throat.
Sigh*
[Actually, you said you died on floor 48th right?]
Camilla nodded.
Although she hadn't been paying close attention, the light hero and leader of the party had kept a close eye on the situation and marked every floor.
Having seen the marks, she was fairly certain it was the 48th floor.
[Yeah, I think it was the 48th floor...why?]
Floor 48, but according to the way things were when I found her it's not consistent at all.
It really didn't make any sense.
[If you died on the 48th floor, why did your body end up on a lower one?]
It wasn't that I didn't trust her, but somethings really needed to be addressed.
Now that he mentioned it, Camilla also thought it was strange. She definitely recalled it was the 48th floor so she shouldn't be wrong.
Then again, weren't all dungeons strange places?
[I wonder…]
This was all she could say.
Did a monster move her corpse?
Still, that theory also had flaws.
Monsters cannot leave the floors they were created on.
I had already tested that theory on lower floors so I'm sure.
Even so, not to mention the fact that monster can't exit the floors they are on, even if they could why would she still end up in the trap that killed her?
Unless that monster had a weird sense of humor.
But, monsters weren't that smart. At least up to the guardian and boss species Nagisa had yet to meet such a meticulous monster.
That left only one other conclusion-
[The dungeon moves?]
Camilla seemed to hear my small muttering and paused.
[Floors moving?...]
Right, hadn't she heard something of the sort while working at the temple?
It was a conversation between the cardinal and the paladin captain at the time where they claimed that higher tiered dungeons seemed to have suspicious activity after challengers died.
Later challengers would even claim that the layout of dungeons became different, even though the monsters on each floors stayed the same, traps and secret rooms they had mapped out previously had changed and were in different places.
This woman-
[Why didn't you say that from before?]
I was frustrated that she kept back such valuable Intel.
Still, it made me realize that my worry was unnecessary if her words were true.
Seriously, wasting so many brain cells.
Perhaps if the monsters also changed with the dungeons shift it would be a major issue, however if that wasn't the case and only the traps moved then it was fine not to think about it.
Camilla was flustered at my dissatisfied tone.
[I-It's not as if I hid it on purpose!]
Not all dungeons moved floors and even for those that do, it was hard to tell that they moved unless you entered them again.
Camilla never once re-entered a dungeon she had already been to especially since she had to be all over the place as a Saintess.
[And it's not like there has ever been a survivor of this death hole to say, "Oh hey, the dungeon moves so be careful!"]
What survivor?
You could barely even find bones from the previous challengers.
I nodded, this was a true statement I couldn't refute.
[I understand, you are forgiven!]
[Thank you, your grace!]
Well, after we laughed at the noble play I got to thinking.
This dungeon was basically one big graveyard.
There had never been a single person, even the strongest of the strong to exit the dungeon after entering it.
In that case, discussing info about the dungeon has never been done and there was no accurate information about it at all.
Of course, I received some information from Camilla and I could even make some inferences based on everything that has happened so far.
But, even if the floors moved it's not like I had previously been here to map them out and traps are pretty much ineffective against me.
Hmmm…
[Now that I think about it, all the information I gained so far seems rather useless]
Camilla nodded as if it was a right of course.
[To begin with, you slaughter monsters so easily that even if we had information it would become useless in the end]
This monster, stressing over such a thing. If she had that kind of power she would just bulldoze her way through this rotten place.
This girl must be thinking something rude again.
I smiled.
[Well, you should be glad]
???
[If it really was an issue then you'd basically become a liability right?]
Camilla's face flushed.
This was basically saying she knew nothing and had no strength so what use was she?
[Yo-Your way too mean towards a lady!]
Bastard!
She hit Nagisa softly with her fists as tears unconsciously gathered at the corners of her eyes.
Damn? She's really crying!
[Alright, fine, I was joking okay? It was a joke!]
Holding her folded fists gently, I gazed down into her eyes and consoled her.
[Re-Really? Are you really joking?]
[That's right....]
Those words were enough for her to break out into a captivating smile.
Pretty.
For a moment even I was drawn into her smile and I felt depressed. My resistance against beauty seemed to have lowered with my communication skills.
So I decided to punish her.
[Mm, you're about as useful as grass]
[Nagisa you bully!]
An angry right hook flew towards my face and I dodged it swiftly.
[Woah!]
But due to my evasion, Camilla fell forward and to catch her I fell catching her in my arms.
She was above me while below her I gazed into her eyes, her hair hanging down.
[You! What are you-!]
Realizing the position she was caught in she was flustered.
As a young lady, even without being in a romantic relationship herself she had read countless novels and seen several naughty depictions making her mind shift straight to the gutters.
[Don't struggle too much, you'll spoil the fun]
Then there was this calm tempting voice from that face and those strong arms, how could she not imagine several scenes?
Sliding my hands up her waist with a soft touch, her body continuously jerked in my arms.
[You–You can't do...this..]
Bastard!
@$@&*!^!*&!!
Every curse she could find in her vocabulary flew through her mind, yet her body offered no resistance.
Camilla could only say that she really wanted to fight back but wasn't used to this sensation at all.
I raised my head slightly and spoke softly into her ear.
[Didn't you say I was a bully? Then, why don't I teach you your first lesson?]
With my lips close enough to her neck to give her a kiss, she trembled nonstop with every breath.
[Mm...]
It was no good!
Camilla felt like she could not fight back at all.
I faced her, those jewel like purple eyes wet with tears, her faced tainted with embarrassment.
It was all too tempting.
Caressing her lips with a finger, I pressed my thumb against her bottom lip and closed the distance with my desire to steal a kiss overflowing.
Camilla had already closed her eyes, she didn't know what was what and didn't care anymore.
Just let it happen.
But at the very last moment I finally came to my senses.
Damn!
I really nearly lost myself.
Embarrassed, I was truly embarrassed at this moment.
But how dare this jezebel seduce me?
If Camilla could hear his thoughts she would only have curses. But Nagisa would never admit that he almost fell in the moment.
So-
[It's just a joke you know?]
[....Eh?]
He decided to play it off like a joke.
[Like I said, it's a joke. 100% a joke, I wouldn't just kiss a girl I just got to know, what do you take me for?]
Well, I almost did but that doesn't really matter now does it?
Slowly registering that she had been played into looking stupid, Camilla's face flushed with anger.
[You! You!!]
If she didn't beat this guy to death today she wouldn't feel satisfied!
[Kya! Please don't hurt me Camilla-sama!]
Running while screaming, the two played a game of tag that no one would think was possible in this hellish dungeon.
[We'll see about that! Hey, get back here you bastard!]
[Fufufu! Catch me if you can!]
[Then....here I come!]