The first light of dawn slowly washed over Black Fortress.
A thin layer of mist still lingered above the stone walls.
For the first time...
the place that had long echoed with nothing but the sound of hammers and chisels...
was truly alive.
White smoke curled from the chimneys of several houses.
One by one, wooden doors creaked open.
The survivors who had spent the previous night sleeping shoulder to shoulder in the great hall...
now stepped outside, their expressions far calmer than before.
Children ran across the streets once again.
Soft laughter gradually filled the air.
A young child approached Lyra as she was planting a tree.
"The flower is so beautiful."
Lyra smiled.
"It's not a flower. It's a tree."
"But someday, this tree will grow big and bloom with flowers."
The child's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"Really."
Lyra gently patted the child's head.
"You can see it for yourself someday."
Several women worked together to prepare breakfast using the food Nocelle had distributed the night before.
Elsewhere...
groups of men began gathering.
"Are we really just going to sit around?"
"It doesn't feel right to keep accepting help."
"I was thinking the same thing."
"I'm good at farming."
"I can repair something."
"I used to help blacksmithing back in my village."
Conversations sprang up all around them.
No one was giving orders.
No one was telling them what to do.
And yet...
after losing their homes...
they wanted this place to truly become their new home.
Not far away...
Arven was helping several men cut wooden beams.
Cain arrived as well, pulling a cart loaded with logs he had felled since dawn.
"Not a bad haul today."
Arven grinned.
"Hahaha."
"I'm starting to lose to the younger generation."
Cain chuckled.
"But you've still got way more experience than I do, Uncle."
Meanwhile...
Lyra walked across an open field beyond the fortress walls.
She knelt down.
Her palm gently rested against the earth.
"Skill: Mother Forest..."
Soft green mana spread in every direction.
The once-barren ground gradually sprouted tiny shoots.
Before long...
dozens of young saplings emerged from the soil.
The morning breeze drifted through the field.
Fresh leaves swayed gently with the wind.
Lyra smiled with satisfaction.
"At this rate..."
"...this forest will recover before long."
Not far from her...
several wooden puppets carried buckets of water.
Without being told, they carefully watered each of the newly planted saplings.
Meanwhile...
on the castle balcony...
Hax silently watched the scene unfolding below.
"..."
No one was waiting for his orders.
No one was asking him to decide what they should do.
Everyone...
was moving of their own free will.
The System quietly displayed a notification.
[Settlement Status Updated]
Population: 57
Morale: Stable
Food Reserve: Sufficient
Construction Progress: Ongoing
Hax studied it for a moment.
Then...
he closed the window.
"..."
There was nothing he needed to do.
As long as they had shelter.
As long as they had food.
And as long as this territory remained safe...
they would find their own path.
Behind him...
Nocelle approached.
"Your Majesty."
"The residents have begun settling in."
Hax gave a slight nod.
"Leave them be."
"They're free to live however they choose."
"As long as..."
"...they don't violate this territory's laws."
Nocelle continued watching the people of Black Fortress as they busied themselves with their own work.
Children chased each other through the streets.
Several women hung freshly washed clothes out to dry.
Groups of men worked together to repair damaged wagons.
It was a peaceful sight.
But...
after a long silence...
Nocelle finally spoke.
"...Your Majesty."
"What is it?"
Hax kept his eyes fixed on the settlement below.
"I have a question."
"Go ahead."
Nocelle paused briefly.
As though carefully choosing her words.
"This world is certainly different from ours."
"However..."
"There's still one thing I don't understand."
Hax turned toward her.
Nocelle looked back at the people living within the fortress.
"The humans."
"Why have you allowed them to live within your territory?"
She continued in the same calm tone.
"Do they possess some kind of value?"
"Or..."
"Will they eventually be used as research subjects?"
"If that's the case..."
"I'll make sure not a single one of them escapes."
Silence settled over the balcony.
To Nocelle...
it wasn't a joke.
In their old world...
humans had been nothing but enemies.
They were the Church's armies.
The Heroes.
The Holy Knights.
The people who had spent countless years trying to take His Majesty's life.
That was why...
for hundreds of years...
the Seven Enigma had only one duty.
To slaughter anyone who dared raise a sword against the Demon King.
To them...
humans had never been anything more than a threat.
Hax turned his gaze back toward the settlement.
"...No."
His answer was short.
"They're not research material."
"Nor are they tools."
Nocelle waited for him to continue.
"They're the people of this territory."
"As long as they follow my rules..."
"...that's enough."
Nocelle fell silent.
That answer...
was far beyond anything she had expected.
She looked at the humans laughing together once more.
In her old world, humans were enemies that had to be eradicated.
For the first time...
she realized that the man standing before her...
was no longer the Demon King who had led an endless war in the old world.
Instead...
he was a ruler building a nation.
"...I understand."
She bowed her head.
"In that case..."
"I will protect them."
"Not because they are humans."
"But because..."
"...they belong to Your Majesty."
----
The morning sun climbed higher above Black Fortress.
On the castle balcony...
Hax stood silently, gazing toward the mountains in the northwest.
His eyes were fixed on a single point.
The System slowly displayed a window.
[Active Dungeon]
Status: Active
Threat Level: Moderate
Monster Overflow Probability: Increasing
A few moments later...
footsteps echoed from behind him.
Nocelle bowed.
"Your Majesty."
Lyra bowed beside her.
"Master."
Hax didn't turn around.
His gaze remained fixed on the mountains.
"There's a dungeon."
"It's within my territory."
Neither of them interrupted.
"The monsters coming out of it have attacked the village."
"And they're interfering with construction."
Silence lingered for a moment.
Then Hax finally turned around.
His eyes moved between Nocelle and Lyra.
"You two."
"Clear that dungeon."
There was no lengthy explanation.
No strategy.
No additional instructions.
Just four words.
Yet...
both of them immediately lowered their heads.
"With pleasure."
Nocelle answered without hesitation.
"I won't disappoint you, Master."
Lyra replied enthusiastically.
Hax gave a brief nod.
"Proceed."
A few minutes later...
the gates of Black Fortress slowly opened.
Nocelle walked at the front.
Her black-and-white maid dress swayed gently in the wind.
Behind her...
Lyra followed with a small satchel filled with various plant seeds.
Every now and then, she glanced at the silver-haired woman walking ahead.
"..."
Silence.
Far too much silence.
Lyra bit her lip.
"...Miss Nocelle?"
"You don't have to address me so formally."
Nocelle replied without looking back.
"In that case..."
Lyra thought for a moment.
"...Big Sis Nocelle?"
Nocelle's steps came to a brief halt.
"..."
She slowly turned around.
Her soft crimson eyes stared directly at the Dryad girl.
Lyra immediately panicked.
"A-Ah!"
"I'm sorry!"
"It's okay if you don't like it!"
Nocelle studied her for several seconds.
Then she turned forward and resumed walking.
"...I don't mind."
Her answer remained as flat as ever.
But...
Lyra immediately broke into a bright smile.
"Hehe."
"Okay, Big Sis Nocelle."
For the first time...
Nocelle felt that a journey which was usually silent...
had become just a little livelier.
----
About an hour later...
the forest grew noticeably denser.
The air became colder.
The songs of birds had disappeared.
Only the wind remained.
Lyra hugged her satchel a little tighter.
"...This place is creepy."
Nocelle continued walking calmly.
"That's normal."
"Dungeons alter the environment around them."
Not long afterward...
they arrived at the foot of a hill.
There...
a massive crack split the stone cliff.
Black mist slowly drifted out from within.
The surrounding grass had withered.
The trees looked lifeless.
Lyra swallowed hard.
"...This..."
"...really is a dungeon."
Nocelle gave a slight nod.
She stared at the entrance without the slightest change in expression.
"His Majesty was right."
"If we leave it alone..."
"...the monsters will continue to emerge."
Lyra nodded as well.
"Let's—"
Before she could finish...
Nocelle raised a hand.
"Wait."
"...?"
"Entering without preparation would be reckless."
Lyra blinked.
"...Preparation?"
Nocelle lightly snapped her fingers.
A moment later...
the ground behind them began to tremble.
Thud...
Thud...
Thud...
Heavy footsteps echoed from beyond the trees.
Lyra turned around.
Her eyes widened instantly.
Dozens of the wooden puppets that usually worked around Black Fortress...
were approaching.
But...
that wasn't what caught her attention.
Behind them...
large iron crates came into view.
Each one was pulled by four worker puppets.
There were...
more than twenty of them.
Lyra blinked several times.
"...Big Sis Nocelle."
"What's all this?"
Nocelle looked calmly at the crates.
"Equipment."
"Equipment?"
"For different kinds of work."
She walked over to one of the crates.
Her hand rested on the latch.
Click.
The metallic sound echoed softly.
The lid slowly opened.
Lyra leaned in to look.
Then...
her breath caught.
"..."
Inside the crate...
lay a life-sized puppet.
Its entire body was encased in black armor.
Both hands gripped a steel spear nearly three meters long.
Its face was hidden behind a seamless helmet.
There was nothing cute about it like the worker puppets back at the fortress.
Instead...
it exuded only the cold aura of a soldier.
Nocelle opened another crate.
Then another.
One by one...
their contents were revealed.
Sword units.
Spear units.
Shield units.
Archer units.
Every one of them lay dormant.
Lyra stared at the scene with sparkling eyes.
"...Are these..."
"...an army?"
Nocelle gently shook her head.
"No."
She raised her right hand.
Silvery-white threads of mana slowly flowed from her fingertips.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Each thread connected to a war puppet resting inside the crates.
Nocelle's expression turned cold.
She no longer resembled the head maid.
Instead...
she looked like a commander standing before her troops.
"...Awaken."
She spoke softly.
Yet...
in the very next second...
hundreds of crimson eyes lit up simultaneously inside the iron crates.
Click.
Click.
Click.
One after another...
the war puppets slowly opened their eyes.
Pairs of glowing red eyes shone from behind black steel helmets.
No breathing.
No sound.
And yet...
the pressure they radiated made the air around the dungeon feel far heavier.
Lyra unconsciously swallowed.
"..."
"They're..."
"...alive?"
"No."
Nocelle answered calmly.
"They simply move."
The white mana threads remained connected to every one of them.
Like nerves.
Like veins.
The entire army...
moved according to the will of a single person.
Nocelle.
She raised her right hand.
"Combat Mode."
WHOOOM!!
Every puppet's armor immediately glowed with a dim crimson light.
Shields were raised.
Swords were drawn.
Spears leveled forward.
Not a single movement was delayed.
Not a single one was too early.
They moved...
as one body.
Lyra could only stare in amazement.
"..."
"...Incredible..."
Nocelle spoke again.
"Formation."
Instantly...
the entire army shifted into position.
The shield units stood at the very front.
Behind them...
two ranks of spearmen formed up.
Further back...
the sword units.
At the rear...
a dozen mechanical archers nocked their arrows.
The entire formation was complete...
in less than five seconds.
Lyra watched them in awe.
"...This..."
"...is faster than the royal army..."
Nocelle replied flatly.
"Naturally."
"They know no fear."
"They never tire."
"And they never make mistakes."
Silence followed.
Then...
Nocelle stepped into the dungeon.
"Move."
The entire army advanced in unison.
Steel footsteps thundered through the tunnel.
THUD.
THUD.
THUD.
The vibrations were strong enough to shake dust from the ceiling.
Lyra hurried after them.
"..."
She felt...
less like she was exploring a dungeon...
and more like she was taking part in a military campaign.
Several minutes later...
growls echoed through the passage.
"GROOOAAARRR!!"
From behind the stone corridor...
a dozen Orcs emerged, wielding stone axes.
They immediately roared.
"GRRAAAAA!!"
Nocelle didn't even slow her pace.
"Shield Unit."
"Advance."
BOOM!
Eight shield puppets stepped forward in perfect unison.
Their steel shields slammed into the ground.
Forming an iron wall.
The Orcs charged with raised axes.
"GRRAAA!!"
BOOOM!!
Stone axes crashed against the shields.
Yet...
not a single puppet moved.
They stood firm.
Silent.
Unshakable.
"Fall back."
The next command came.
The shield units instantly opened a gap.
"Spear Unit."
"Advance."
SHRRAAK!!
Twelve spears thrust forward simultaneously.
Not a single strike missed.
Not a single movement was wasted.
Every spear pierced a vital point.
Within a single breath...
all twelve Orcs collapsed together.
THUD.
THUD.
THUD.
Lyra froze.
"..."
"...That's it?"
She hadn't even had the chance to raise her staff.
Nocelle replied with only one word.
"Continue."
As though slaughtering a dozen monsters...
was nothing out of the ordinary.
The deeper they ventured...
the more monsters appeared.
Goblins.
Orcs.
Flame Vipers.
Yet...
not a single one managed to approach Nocelle.
Because...
they first had to get through hundreds of her soldiers.
Every command Nocelle gave consisted of only one or two words.
"Right."
"Arrows."
"Second rank, forward."
"Surround them."
"Fall back."
There were no shouts.
No emotion.
Yet...
the entire army moved as though they shared a single mind.
Lyra completely forgot she was supposed to be on a mission too.
She simply watched.
Observed.
Learned.
Before long...
the tunnel became covered in blackened tree roots.
The ground turned damp.
The air grew noticeably hotter.
Nocelle stopped.
"..."
She slowly closed her eyes.
Mana threads spread throughout her army.
Several seconds later...
she opened them again.
"There's an ambush."
Lyra immediately tensed.
"From where?"
"The ceiling."
Before the words had even fully left her mouth—
KRAAAK!!
Massive rocks collapsed.
Dozens of Flame Vipers dropped from above.
They immediately spewed flames.
But...
before the fire could reach the army...
Nocelle had already spoken.
"Arrows."
SHIIIIING!!
Dozens of arrows shot through the air at once.
Not a single one missed.
Every Flame Viper had its head pierced midair.
Before their bodies could even hit the ground...
they were already dead.
Lyra stared at the rain of monster corpses.
"..."
"..."
She finally understood.
What made Nocelle truly terrifying...
wasn't her personal strength.
It was...
her flawless command over hundreds of soldiers at once.
To a woman like her...
a dungeon...
was nothing more than a training ground.
----
The stone corridor gradually widened.
The air grew hotter.
Dark mana saturated every corner of the cavern.
Before long...
the two of them arrived in a vast underground chamber.
The ceiling was covered with countless black roots hanging overhead.
At the center of the chamber...
stood a black crystal the size of a human.
It pulsed continuously.
Thump...
Thump...
Thump...
With every pulse, the surrounding mana grew denser.
Standing before the crystal...
was a tall figure.
A black sword rested in one of its hands.
And in the other...
it held its own severed head.
The head was still alive.
Its crimson eyes slowly turned toward the two new arrivals.
Even its lips...
still wore a smile.
A long black cloak concealed most of its body.
It seemed to be observing the crystal...
before slowly turning around.
Its dark crimson eyes met Nocelle's.
"..."
"So..."
"...humans have actually managed to make it this far."
"Are you adventurers?"
The man's voice was calm.
Yet...
it was unmistakably inhuman.
Lyra instinctively tightened her grip on her staff.
"...A demon..."
The man smiled faintly.
"It's been a long time..."
"...since I've seen humans reach the Core Chamber this quickly."
His gaze then shifted toward the hundreds of Puppet Soldiers filling the corridor.
"...Interesting."
Nocelle returned his gaze without expression.
"You're the one controlling this dungeon?"
The man let out a quiet chuckle.
"Controlling it?"
"I suppose you could say that."
He gave a slight bow.
"I am Dullahan."
"One of His Majesty Thanatos's subordinate."
The chamber fell silent.
Lyra frowned.
"...Thanatos?"
Dullahan smiled proudly.
"The sovereign of all demonkind."
"The Demon King of this world."
The creature paused briefly.
"You humans really are amusing."
"You walk into this place..."
"...only to throw your lives away."
A massive surge of black aura erupted from his body.
BOOOOM!!
The ground shook violently.
Cracks spread across the floor.
Dozens of black magic circles appeared beneath them.
From within...
monsters began to emerge.
Orcs.
Flame Vipers.
Goblins.
And even...
several Ogres nearly three meters tall.
Their numbers...
reached into the hundreds.
Lyra immediately tensed.
"There's so many..."
But...
Nocelle merely raised her right hand.
"Delta Formation."
Thud!
The entire Puppet Army moved.
The shield units advanced, forming three defensive lines.
The spear units filled every gap.
The archers climbed onto the surrounding rock formations.
Meanwhile, dozens of other units split off and circled around.
Not to attack.
But...
to surround.
Dullahan frowned.
"...What?"
Nocelle spoke calmly.
"Primary target."
"Dullahan."
"Ignore the monsters."
In an instant...
the entire army changed direction.
Not toward the horde of monsters.
But...
straight toward their leader.
Dullahan's eyes widened.
"They're ignoring the monsters?!"
He immediately raised his sword.
"Stop them!"
The monsters charged at once.
But...
"Too late."
Unbeknownst to him, several of Nocelle's smaller puppets had already climbed onto the dungeon ceiling.
"...When?"
Nocelle had already issued her next command.
"Unit Six."
"Seal the corridor."
Twelve Shield Puppets leaped forward simultaneously.
BOOOM!!
Their massive shields slammed into the ground.
The passage leading to Dullahan was instantly blocked.
The pursuing monsters became trapped behind a wall of steel.
They crashed into one another.
Blocked each other's path.
Unable to break through the formation.
Lyra's eyes widened.
"They..."
"...split the enemy force?"
Nocelle answered without turning around.
"Commander."
"Eliminate."
Lyra fell silent.
The command...
sounded so simple.
Yet...
she instantly understood.
As long as the commander remained alive...
the monsters would keep coming.
Kill the commander...
and everything would end.
Dullahan snarled.
"You think it'll be that easy?!"
His body suddenly vanished.
WHOOSH!!
In the blink of an eye...
he appeared directly in front of Nocelle.
His black sword slashed toward her neck.
CLAAANG!!
Steel rang through the chamber.
But...
the blade struck nothing.
Blocking it...
was a Puppet Knight.
Somehow...
it had already positioned itself before Nocelle.
Dullahan's eyes widened.
"So fast..."
Before he could retreat...
four spears thrust toward him from four directions.
He leaped backward.
But...
two arrows were already waiting.
SHIIING!
Dullahan spun his sword.
Black flames erupted.
The explosion destroyed several puppets.
Wood and metal fragments scattered everywhere.
Lyra cried out instinctively.
"...The puppets were destroyed!"
Yet...
Nocelle's expression didn't change in the slightest.
"Reserve Unit."
"Deploy."
From the corridor behind them...
six fresh Puppet Knights marched forward.
Replacing the destroyed ones.
Dullahan froze.
"...There are more?"
Nocelle answered flatly.
"Yes."
"A great many."
For the first time...
the confidence faded from Dullahan's smile.
Meanwhile...
an Ogre managed to break through part of the formation.
The giant monster raised its massive stone club.
Charging straight toward Lyra.
"GRROOOOOO!!"
Lyra gasped.
She quickly raised her wooden staff.
But...
before she could cast a spell...
a white thread flashed past her.
Swish.
Nocelle made the slightest movement with her fingertip.
Three Puppet Spearmen instantly changed direction.
They didn't aim for the Ogre's body.
Instead...
they struck the exact same spot on its left knee.
CRAAACK!!
The Ogre's leg shattered instantly.
The giant lost its balance.
And crashed to one knee.
"Lyra."
Nocelle's calm voice echoed.
"Your turn."
Lyra blinked.
"...Huh?"
"His Majesty sent you here."
"Not to watch."
There was no criticism in her voice.
If anything...
it sounded like encouragement.
Lyra took a deep breath.
"...You're right."
She tightened her grip on her staff.
Green mana flowed from her body.
The ground beneath the Ogre began to tremble.
Tree roots burst through solid stone.
They spread.
Coiled.
Wrapped around the monster's entire body.
The Ogre roared in fury.
Yet...
the harder it struggled...
the tighter the roots became.
Nocelle glanced at it.
The corner of her lips lifted ever so slightly.
"...Good."
Just one word.
Yet...
Lyra immediately beamed.
For some reason...
that brief praise made her far happier than she had ever expected.
---
At the same time...
back at Black Fortress.
Inside the study that had just been finished...
Hax stood alone.
Floating before him...
was a translucent blue screen.
On it...
the dungeon was displayed in real time.
Lyra.
Nocelle.
And the battle currently unfolding.
It was one of Umbra Vermis's additional abilities.
As long as one of the shadow worms remained near a target...
Hax could see exactly what it saw.
"..."
He watched without blinking.
A few seconds later...
Lyra narrowly avoided being struck by an Ogre's club.
Hax instinctively leaned forward ever so slightly.
"..."
Then, after watching Nocelle direct the Puppet Army to save her...
he quietly straightened back up.
"That was close."
he muttered.
Moments later...
Lyra successfully restrained the Ogre with her roots once again.
Hax gave a small nod.
"...Not bad."
Then...
Nocelle offered a brief compliment.
"...Good."
Seeing Lyra immediately break into a bright smile...
Hax tilted his head.
"..."
"...Is a single word really that effective?"
The System immediately responded.
[Analysis Failed]
[Reason: Emotional Response Detected]
"..."
Hax remained silent for several seconds.
"...Difficult to understand."
Even so...
he made no move to close the screen.
At some point...
his attention had begun following Lyra and Nocelle...
more often than the dungeon itself.
Meanwhile...
Nocelle suddenly paused for the briefest moment.
For some reason...
she felt as though someone was watching her.
She slowly looked toward the dungeon ceiling.
"...?"
There was nothing there.
Only a small Umbra Vermis quietly crawling between the rocks.
A faint smile appeared on Nocelle's lips.
"...I see."
His Majesty...
had been watching over them all along.
It was strange.
Yet somehow...
knowing that made her feel a little more at ease.
She turned back toward Lyra.
"Let's continue."
"Yes, Miss Nocelle!"