246 THE REAL LADY DASSA
"What do you mean you're moving us out?" Grangya asked, eyes narrowing at Leo.
"The Temple of Hera has marked us. Keeping the dungeon in Court La Mood is too dangerous for you, keeping you guys around me is also dangerous," Leo replied.
Grangya folded her arms, deep in thought. "That's true, in some ways we are in your way. But without the dungeon's magic, what will power us?"
"We return to how we used to be," Petunia said. "Without the dungeon's magic."
Megane frowned. "And what about our pharmacy factory?"
Leo leaned back. "The Cergontyn family is gone. We don't need dungeon magic anymore. We'll build a normal factory, run by real pharmacists, not dungeon powered cauldrons."
Grangya sighed. "I guess we have no choice. What about us? Where are we moving?"
Petunia smirked. "We'll relocate the girls to the other properties owned by the Lotus family. We have many locations empty after Court La Mood commenced business."
"And the pharmacy?" Megane asked hesitantly.
Leo turned to her. "You'll take over the former headquarters of the Cergontyn family."
Megane's eyes widened. "I never imagined I'd run the pharmacy there of all places…"
"What about our clan?" Princess Bara asked.
Grangya has an idea, "The Cergontyn family has many properties being liquidated, we take some of them to settle the Amara clan. They can become the guards of both our pharmacy and brothels."
"That is a good idea", Leo replied.
"What about Dassa and the Temple of Hera? She would be coming back, won't she?" Grangya asked.
"She probably would which is why we must be prepared for it", Leo said. He paused then had an idea. "Perhaps we should give her a reason not to attack my dungeon."
"What about the Gullee army?" Kasshyek asked.
"Well, they would be busy. I promise", Leo replied to him.
Leo and his friends took a last look at the establishment that they'd worked hard to build with regret and sadness. Soon, after everything was packed and moved, it was time to leave Court La Mood behind.
Leo took a final look around to make sure there was nobody left in Court La Mood. "Alright. Time to uproot my dungeon."
The ground trembled.
A deep, rumbling force shook the entire district. Buildings crumbled, stone and wood crashing into dust. The once-prestigious, sinful heart of Court La Mood collapsed in on itself, reduced to ruins in mere moments.
Court La Mood was no more.
Only one building remains standing. It was the building that housed the Rose Dungeon surrounded by a moat of water connected by a bridge.
------
"Did you hear? A powerful demon landed in Court La Mood and destroyed it," someone whispered excitedly.
"I heard a magic dungeon appeared right in the middle of the ruins, taking over the old establishment," another chimed in.
"What's Lilleo Gullee doing about it?" a third voice asked.
"The Gullee army has surrounded the dungeon. They're offering rewards to adventurers and hunters to clear it—for a fee, of course," someone else grumbled.
"A fee? To help clear his dungeon infestation? That Lilleo Gullee knows how to squeeze every coin out of us," another muttered.
Lady Unna sat quietly in a corner of the diner, drinking her wine alongside Lord Aseran. The gossip from the adjacent room carried easily to their ears.
"What is this Lilleo Gullee playing at? Did he destroy his own brothel just to lure heroes into clearing his own dungeon?" Aseran asked, his tone laced with disbelief.
"This is…unexpected," Unna replied, her expression thoughtful.
"Should we send our forces into the dungeon?" Aseran asked, leaning closer.
Unna's gaze turned distant. "Why didn't she return?" she murmured to herself.
"Who didn't return?" Aseran pressed.
"Erm… our lady Dassa," Unna said, her voice barely above a whisper.
At that moment, the door creaked open, and a woman stepped inside taking a seat before them. Both Unna and Aseran turned, startled.
"Lady Dassa!" Aseran exclaimed, rising from his seat. "I thought you were lost in the dungeon."
Dassa's lips curled into a faint smile as she approached. "The one who entered the dungeon was merely my body double," she said coolly, seating herself at the table.
Unna stood immediately and poured wine for her.
"Who is this lady Dassa, really?" Aseran thought to himself.
The Dassa he'd met before was simply the commander of an assassin team. Yet here she was, commanding the respect of Unna, the Temple of Hera's most senior operative.
Aseran began to stand in deference, but Dassa gestured for him to sit. "Please, Lord Aseran, there's no need for formalities," she said.
He sat back down, confused but compliant.
"Why didn't she return?" Dassa muttered, more to herself than anyone else, as she sipped the wine Unna had poured.
"Perhaps your double has been captured," Aseran suggested cautiously.
"Impossible. Even if she was caught, she could have killed herself and returned to me," Dassa said, frowning. "That's the whole point of a body double. A dispensable sacrifice."
"Could it have something to do with what's happening … the dungeon Lilleo Gullee is trying to reclaim?" Unna offered, her voice steady.
Dassa's eyes narrowed as the idea took root.
The Court la Mood was destroyed suddenly overnight, and a dungeon suddenly appeared there. The curious thing was Lilleo Gullee was trying to recover the dungeon.
"Why did Lilleo Gullee wants to recover his own dungeon?" Unna asked further.
A thought came to her.
"Is it possible," Lady Dassa said slowly, "that my body double was actually successful in seizing the Rose Dungeon? And now Lilleo Gullee is besieging it because he lost control of the dungeon to her?"
"That would explain why she hasn't returned to you," Unna said thoughtfully before adding, "she's still inside the dungeon. It's possible they are still fighting over the dungeon or… she already captured it."
"If my soul minion captured the dungeon, then it explains the destruction of Court la Mood, which is an extension of the dungeon. It also explains why Lilleo Gullee is trying to recover the control of the dungeon", Lady Dassa muttered.
"Its possible your soul minion is trapped inside the Rose dungeon after successfully recovering it and now is surrounded", Unna suggested.
Aseran's confusion deepened, though he kept his thoughts to himself. "What should we do now?" he asked, uncertain of the strategy.
"We wait," Dassa said decisively.
-----