Instantly, everyone's attention went to that man.
【Zaitenmodi, Boss of Naraka.】
He definitely didn't look like a Terran, or even quite like a human.
And for some reason, his attention was on me.
'Oh... probably for the same reason everyone is looking at him.'
I was a dungeon boss too, after all.
It made walking around Terra pretty annoying, since people tended to stare at me there too... though they had done so back when I first arrived too, so maybe it was just because I looked different.
Though...
"How intriguing. I could say you were my daughter, and none would dare question it."
In this case, I didn't look too different from this man.
Well, the similarities were pretty minimal, but they were things humans tended to care about.
He had deep red hair and bright red eyes. They resembled mine at a glance, but even then, my hair had an orange tint that his lacked, and my eyes were more of a dull crimson.
Of course, I didn't have horns or pointed ears like he did, and my skin was neatly tanned while his was pale. His face was also far more angular than mine, in a fashion that I understood many people across many worlds considered noble or even imperial.
Though I wasn't too sure if Terrans or Narakans did.
The literal imperials of this world didn't have such angular features, but...
'Well... if there are Narakans, it'd be weird if they didn't think of their boss as noble.'
I didn't really have that kind of look.
"I don't think so... we don't really look alike..."
"Hahaha! You're quite right, but they still wouldn't dare."
For some reason, everyone aside from this guy, Zaitenmodi, looked extremely tense...
But all I could think was...
"Hey, Van... if everyone knows my name by looking at me, what's the ID for...?"
***
For some reason, Van felt now wasn't the best time to discuss imperial bureaucracy, since apparently I had a guest.
So this is what they meant when I said I was a diplomatic entity.
I was literally dragged into a meeting with the ruler of another dungeon, and one I knew precious little about. It wasn't an E rank dungeon, so I hadn't really had a chance to read about it.
Based on how nervous everyone was around him, it was easy to conclude he was someone powerful, or something like that...
But that only made it less clear why he came to visit me.
"You know... this dungeon's only about E rank. I know the rest of the world is dangerous, but that's as far as I've been."
"Don't worry about trifles like ranks. I'm not here to hunt anyway."
"I see... why are you here?"
"To meet you, of course. Ah, right... my name precedes me, but you may call me Zai... or Uncle Zai, if you prefer. I'd even accept papa."
"We're not related, though."
"Haha, my aren't you blunt! Well, call me as you wish, my dear. How would you like to be called?"
"Kid is fine, I guess."
"Kid it is, then. Kid the Beginner, is it? How apt indeed."
For some reason, none of the adventurers could keep up with the conversation.
I wondered what was even up with them.
"Sure... so you know about that, huh?"
"Naturally. The Beginner of a beginner dungeon... but you know, it is normally nearly impossible to become a boss in a dungeon without death."
"Is it? I didn't plan on it."
They did manage to bring us snacks, and even a whole outdoor table with chairs.
It was pretty improvised, but it was almost like having tea... with another boss.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
"Even more intriguing. It could probably be arranged... but you just became one without meaning to."
"I was just helping a friend."
"Oh? Helping him with what?"
"Helping him die."
For some reason, Zaitenmodi got quiet at those words.
Naturally, everyone else had been silent too, but even they had contemplative expressions on their faces for once, instead of the quiet panic they'd worn the whole time prior.
Well... I could finally nibble on some of the snacks they got for me...
For once, I felt I was doing plenty to earn them.
Not that I felt that I was particularly good at diplomacy. On the contrary, I'd accepted that anything might happen the moment it became clear they were relying on me, of all people, to talk with an important boss from another dungeon, both very likely completely out of my league.
***
Van watched in awe as that small, shy girl spoke with the literal Demon King as if the two were equals.
It wasn't that she had grown into her own or anything. She was just her usual stubbornly closed-off self with him, as if there was no difference between Zaitenmodi and, well, Van himself.
Although... perhaps that was itself apt.
After all, Van was an A rank.
Next to the Demon King, he was horribly outmatched in probably every way.
Even in the strange hypothetical situation where he was actually better than Zaitenmodi at something, if he knowingly competed with the ruler of Naraka, his survival instincts would probably just shut down and force him to fail in the slim hopes that got him through it alive.
But...
Would a child like Kid really see any difference between the two of them?
No, was there really a meaningful difference between either of them and any of the countless random adults Kid would have to pass by on her way to the store?
'No, that's rationally true, but...'
Zaitenmodi wasn't just a random adult.
The Demon King's aura was palpable. It was oppressive and all-pervading.
It wasn't just human reason that prevented Van from standing against the demon. It was as Zaitenmodi himself said.
If he called himself Kid's father, none would dare question it.
Not because of the very rational fear he might retaliate. Humans could act irrationally easily enough. Most A rank adventurers could overcome rational fear.
Heck, most adults could if they drank enough alcohol first.
This was something different.
Most likely a Skill.
'Are other bosses just immune to this sharp presence?'
***
I didn't really want to take the bullet for everyone here, but...
It felt like it'd still be more annoying if I let this happen again, so eventually I settled on just saying it.
"You know... I think you caused a lot of trouble suddenly showing up."
"Yeah? What do you plan to do about it? This is your dungeon, after all."
"If you really just came to talk, I could give you my number. It'd be a lot easier if you sent me messages instead."
"Huh? Ahh, right. Terran communication devices work by numbers, yes? Haha. Very well. I accept."
"You do?"
I half expected him to refuse.
No, I hoped he'd refuse, and say that he wasn't that interested in me.
Feeling defeated by my own emergency tactic, I got a notebook from my backpack, wrote my number down, tore the page out, and handed it over to him.
"It's that."
"I see. Excellent. I'll procure one on my way back. Ah... I know."
Lazily holding the paper in one hand, he raised his other, and there was a feeling of wrongness in the air that I associated with Kazzim's magic, only far sharper.
It seemed to subdue all the adventurers surrounding us, even though that didn't seem to be the intended purpose.
A brooch formed in Zaitenmodi's hand, and he handed it to me, so I accepted it.
It was an awfully mundane thing despite the magic that had formed it, made perhaps of smooth brass with no distinctive features.
If I had a cloak to go with my robes, I could simply put it on right away without it looking strange, but it didn't particularly suit the imperial pants and jacket I was currently wearing.
"If you ever want to visit me, show them that once you get to Naraka. I'm sure these gentlemen will help you get there."
"I see..."
I put the brooch in my pocket for now.
Thankfully, he left pretty soon after that.
***
Hero194: The dungeon's closed again. Did something happen?
RedOwl: I heard there was a safety concern. They canceled all the appointments too.
Popcorn5: There are appointments?
RedOwl: Yeah. Local schools and stuff.
OutsiderFan71: Our dungeon boss sure is growing up...
RedOwl: I'm pretty sure it's the guild managing those, though?
***
Once the guy left, they opened the dungeon back up again.
I hadn't noticed it before, but apparently my phone had a tool for telling if it was closed or not, including a general status message.
Though, the reason they said it was closed was "safety reasons" rather than something as dramatic as "a foreign boss's visit."
Even when I'd believed someone couldn't possibly betray me, Kazzim managed to find a way. I wasn't sure if he knowingly ensured I'd inherit his title, or if it was an accident.
I was pretty sure he just wanted to finally die, regardless.
I couldn't even fully blame him, since it was my own fault I'd gotten caught. I could have tried living in the absolute darkness of the caves instead. Perhaps over a few years, decades, or even centuries, I might have eventually even earned a Skill that'd let me escape.
But what's done was done, and fantasizing about different possibilities was a meaningless exercise if they were already out of reach.
Instead, I decided to spend the day watching the would-be adventurers train.
Most of the Azure Dragon adventurers who'd come left after that, though some flashed me thumbs ups or even ruffled my hair first.
It's a good thing my hair was already a mess. I took minimal care of it, but anything more than that was a pointless luxury.
A couple stayed behind though, evidently as aimless as me after having their plans suddenly crashed.
It was the would-bes who came later that suffered for it.
With nothing to do and an abundance of rookies, these seasoned adventurers quickly got to work meddling, correcting stances and forms, giving unsolicited advice, and even forming training divisions and small tournaments.
"Do you want to train too, Kid?"
I didn't really see the point.
"I don't have any weapons anyway, except my knives..."
"Oh? We've got a few we could lend you though. We're already handing them out to the rookies, you know. You use a spear and crossbow, right?"
"Against animals..."
"Ah, right, right."
It was a fighting tournament, not a hunting contest.
"I'd want a sword against other people," I accidentally said out loud without thinking.
"A sword? Got it."
By the way, these weapons weren't from some portable armory. One of the remaining adventurers had a Skill that let him summon weapons.
'Having that would be really convenient,' I thought as I watched him.
Anyway, he eyed me after they told him I needed a sword.
"What kind?"
I wasn't sure how to escape, so I got my phone out and searched through it, before showing him a picture of a rapier.
"You got it."
And before I knew it, I was registered into their impromptu tournament.
'What is going on...'
***
RedOwl: The Azures are setting up a tournament. I guess they're bored.
OrangeBeta: Man, and you're just reporting on it or something? Aren't you the bored one?
RedOwl: Well, I signed up for it, so I'm waiting for it to start.
RedOwl: Oh. Looks like Kid's joining too.
OutsiderFan71: What?!
Indigo997: Wait, really?!
Hero194: Damn, how long do I have to get there?!
RedOwl: Dunno. Better hurry.