Chapter 43 Saint Alice, Part ③
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
A heavy sigh slipped from his lips. “I’m exhausted…”
Nestled against Alice’s lap, he let himself unwind, gazing up at her. From below, Alice’s gentle presence was a quiet comfort, her warmth a balm to his tired soul. He reached up, playfully nudging her shoulder with a teasing grin. Alice gasped, “Hey, no fair!” and lightly tapped his forehead in return.
These small, carefree moments soothed his weary heart.
Two days ago, he’d finally finished handling the ten girls brought from the village as payment. Yesterday was a whirlwind of cleanup and follow-ups. Managing each girl individually would’ve taken too long, so he’d worked with them in small groups, guiding them through the Dungeon’s demands. The process was draining, despite its necessity.
The goal wasn’t just obligation—it was to earn DP, the lifeblood of running the Dungeon. The first two, Mira and Mia, didn’t yield much DP. They’d come prepared for their role, their resolve softening the gain. But the others, especially those facing the process for the first time, brought richer DP. Their uncertainty in the Dungeon’s shadow amplified the returns.
The best haul came from a group guided amidst goblins, where fear of the unknown heightened the DP. After several intense sessions, the gains leveled off, so he released them. That was two days ago, five days after their arrival.
Yesterday’s one-on-one talks with the girls dragged on. Opening up to him after such an ordeal was tough, so he passed the task to Syl and Sara. They, being closer in experience, might draw out better answers.
”You’re way too naughty, Onii-san!” Alice’s voice carried a playful huff, but her face glowed with a bright smile. She was in high spirits.
While Sara and the others handled the girls’ talks, he’d spent a full day with El planning the Dungeon’s surface expansion. Thanks to the village girls, they’d amassed enough DP to build surface facilities.
At the Dungeon’s heart, they placed a mansion linked to a Teleportation Array [T/N: A magical portal system for instant travel]. Around it, they stretched a barrier five kilometers wide, cleared a two-kilometer forest for homes and fields, and added a rocky hill for the Harpies and an area for the Ogres. Right by the mansion, they built a church for Alice—a gift that lit up her eyes with joy.
And so…
”If Onii-san wants… I’m okay with a little closeness,” Alice murmured, cheeks flushed.
”Really?”
It was rare for her to offer like this.
”Yes… as a thank you, Onii-san. Just… be gentle, okay?”
How could he resist? He sat up, pulling her into a warm embrace. Alice leaned into him, her breath soft against his cheek. Their lips met in a tender, lingering kiss, hearts racing in sync.
”Mmm…”
Her warmth enveloped him, their closeness a quiet dance of trust. When they parted, Alice’s eyes shimmered, dazed, as he guided her to rest against the sofa.
”Onii-san…”
Her whisper was his cue. He brushed a kiss along her neck, her laughter soft and ticklish under his touch.
”Onii-san…”
”Alice…”
His hands rested gently on her shoulders, drawing a sigh from her lips. Her breath quickened as he held her close, their connection unspoken but electric.
”Nn… oh…”
Her voice was a soft melody, rising with each moment. He paused, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
”Alice, you okay?”
She nodded, eyes bright. “I’m fine…”
He drew her closer, their warmth blending in a rush of shared feeling.
”Alice, you’re so precious…”
”Ah… Onii-san…”
Her voice trembled, sweet and unguarded. Their closeness deepened, a silent promise in every touch.
”Oh… I can’t… it’s too much…”
”Me too… stay with me…”
With a shared breath, they held each other tightly, hearts pounding as one. He kissed her softly, then eased back, their connection lingering in the quiet.
”Nn…”
Even the smallest shift made her smile. He lifted her gently, her arms wrapping around him in a warm embrace.
”Onii-san… you’re still so clingy…”
Her playful words earned a soft kiss on her forehead as they settled closer.
* * *
Alice’s laughter faded into soft breaths, her energy spent from their shared moment. He, equally worn, rested beside her, content. A voice cut through from above.
”Done yet?”
”El? How long have you been there?”
”Long enough. Seriously, take it to a room! Do you know how many girls are waiting outside because of you two?”
He glanced at the door, slightly ajar, meeting four pairs of eyes peeking in.
”…”
Wordlessly, he straightened, draped a blanket over Alice, and called out.
”Uh… so, what’s up?”
The door creaked open, and four girls stepped in hesitantly: Sara, Almea, Leticia, and Mira. El spoke first. “I’ve got something to say, but it can wait.”
The girls exchanged glances before Sara took the lead. “It’s about the new girls. Seven want to stay. The other three want to go back to their families first, but they’re also considering moving here with them. Among the seven, four hope to bring their families too.”
”Almost all of them want to stay? Why?” He knew he’d done harsh things to those ten girls for DP [T/N: Dungeon Points, a resource for Dungeon operations]. Why would they choose to stay with someone like him?
Sara’s face tightened slightly. “It’s practical. And the surface facilities you’ve built. Staying here means a small wage, a room, and meals. For girls from a village worse off than ours, where even three meals a day is a dream, enduring your… treatment is better than starving back home. Plus, when I told them they likely won’t be called for ‘service’ again, they all wanted to stay. Their only worry is their families left behind. Knowing they can bring them to the new settlement? That seals it.”
”Even if I call them for ‘service’ every night?”
Sara raised an eyebrow. “Is there anyone among them you want to keep close, like me or Alice-chan?”
”…No.”
Sara smirked, raising her hands in mock surrender. “And honestly, if you call them now, they’d come willingly. Staying here means securing their place. It’s why Syl and Mira over there are a bit nervous lately—you’ve been ignoring them.”
”W-Wait! I mean, it’s not like that, but…” Mira stammered, flustered. He ignored her, finding it amusing.
”Alright, I get it. But this place thrives on coexistence. Demonkin, beastmen, demi-humans—all live together. If the girls or their families have any prejudice against them, they’re out. Tell them that. As for their work, we’ll figure it out later.” He turned to Leticia.
”Done being a shut-in?”
”Not yet! I still wanna hide!” Leticia’s voice pitched up, frantic, as she grabbed his collar. Despite her delicate look, her beastmen strength could easily lift him. He calmed her down and listened. Apparently, some tribes from the Flora Kingdom wanted to relocate here. But living with unfamiliar Demonkin? That question had stalled talks.
Misia, Leticia’s aide, had caught wind of the surface settlement plan and proposed a new village near Kuu-chan’s Dungeon in the Flora Kingdom. She’d already negotiated with Kuu-chan, sorted land plans, calculated DP needs, and outlined how to secure them. All that was left was his approval.
”Misia’s impressive,” he said.
El chimed in. “Maybe we don’t need a shut-in princess with her around.”
”N-No way! I-I’m needed! Misia can’t do it without me!” Leticia’s words tripped over themselves, her voice a mix of panic and cat-like meows.
”If Misia and Leticia start saying ‘nya’ at the end of every sentence, I’ll approve it.”
”Nya?! No way…” Leticia slumped, defeated but cute. He tasked El with passing the plan to Kuu-chan and glanced at the proposal again.
”This DP plan, though…” It relied on boosting “Demon Lord subjugation” efforts by increasing Adventurer numbers by thirty percent monthly and selecting “sacrifices” for the Demon Lord [T/N: A title for the Dungeon’s ruler]. “Misia’s ruthless.”
”She’s more suited for ‘Demon Lord’ than you,” El teased.
”Nah, she’s the shadowy mastermind pulling the strings.”
”That’s supposed to be my role,” El shot back. They laughed, while Leticia writhed on the floor in embarrassment.
He turned to Alusia. “What about you? Mercuria Kingdom stuff? We can’t move until we find that Dungeon.”
”It’s about that. I remembered an old royal legend about ruins. It might be tied to the Dungeon.” Alusia paused. “But I wasn’t told the details. My father, the king, would know. And… I found out he’s alive.”
She explained that her father was hiding with nobles and soldiers beyond Alefgard Kingdom’s fortress on the Aaren Plain’s edge. She wanted to contact them and bring them to the Dungeon. “They have valuable info, but it’ll take time.”
He studied a map projected on a panel. To reach them, they’d need to detour around the fortress, cutting through Mercuria’s territory—tricky, since they’d fled a coup there. The coup’s forces would be waiting. Crossing Alfheim Kingdom’s Royal Capital was another option, but too many obstacles. Aaren Plain was no better, blocked by fortress soldiers. Talks of asylum in Alfheim were ongoing but slow.
”It’s tough to take everyone in right away. If we could just get the king here… I don’t have a good plan yet. Give me time.”
”I understand,” Alusia said, though her face showed worry. He wanted to help, but it wasn’t simple.
Finally, he looked at Mira. “Your turn. What’s up?”
”Uh, probably the same as El-dono!” Mira saluted sharply, dodging the question.
”Same? The suspicious group?” El asked.
”Yup!” Another salute.
”Suspicious group?” he pressed.
El explained. “Yesterday, five Adventurers entered the forest. Mira’s patrol found them and asked what to do.” The Forest of Evil was eighty percent under his Dungeon’s control—his territory. But dealing with every trespasser was impractical…
For instance, merchants or travelers were usually ignored unless they ventured into critical areas. Adventurers, depending on their destination, might be led astray with perception-blocking magic. If a party had a girl, they might even be guided to the Dungeon. And these “suspicious” individuals? A party of five Adventurers, including one girl, as Mira’s patrol reported.
El spoke up. “When I got there, the men were trying to assault the girl.”
It didn’t faze El much, but things shifted when Mira, who’d also rushed to the scene, muttered, “Heroes.”
”Heroes? The summoned ones?” he asked.
”Yes,” Mira said firmly. “I saw them unveiled at the Royal Castle. They’re definitely the summoned Heroes.”
If Mira was that certain, there was no mistake. “Where are they now?”
”I thought you should see them yourself,” El replied. “They’re detained.”
”All five together?”
”No, the girl’s in a separate room [T/N: Tokubetsushitsu, a special isolated chamber], just in case you… get involved. The four men are in the dungeon below.”
”Alright. I’ll go meet them.” He stood, glancing at Alice, still wrapped in a blanket, before leaving the room. It seemed there’d be no rest for him today.
Notes:
• Alice – The Saint Girl. A Loli.
• Mia – Came from the same village, chosen with Mira as part of the payment. She’s the strawberry-blonde with a bob cut—soft-spoken but clear, quick to adapt, and steadier than Mira, with a quiet willingness that grounds her.
• Mira – Appeared in the plague-stricken village where Alice healed the sick. Taken as payment to serve in the Dungeon, she has silver hair to her waist, a timid, whispery voice, and flusters easily—always more compliance than confidence.
• Sara – Once part of Rick’s party, was lured and bound by Kanata in the Dungeon. Timid and dependent, her trust broke with his betrayal, yet she stayed close—pleading mercy for others and later standing by him publicly, claiming it was her will.
• Almea – First Princess of Alfheim, poised and graceful, leads and guides summoned heroes, embodies calm authority and divine favor.
• Leticia – Princess-regent of Florence, captured in failed bandit talks and collared into slavery, later bound to Kanata by contract that gave him her kingdom. Reminder: the princess who lost both crown and freedom to a collar.
• Flora Kingdom – A small demi-human majority realm, politically fragile and reliant on trade, undone when Leticia’s capture and contract ceded it to Kanata. Reminder: the kingdom that fell with its regent’s collar.
• Kuu-chan – Arachne Queen who ruled her own dungeon until Kanata named her, forming a binding contract that shifted her loyalty and dungeon rights to him. Reminder: the dungeon master who became his by name.
• Misia – Leticia’s loyal maid, captured alongside Leticia and enduring torment to shield her mistress, later drawn into Kanata’s control as well. Reminder: the maid who suffered first to protect her princess.
• May – Blonde, soft-eyed shrine girl. ch14–15. Gentle and pleading (“Please… just let us go…”), timid but loyal, relies on Mina’s strength. Came with Mina to save Sara, but was disarmed and bound by Kanata as his captive maid.
• Alusia – Fallen princess of Mercuria, clings to royal pride while navigating slavery, seeking vengeance. Appears: In a cramped slave trader’s carriage, shackled and reflective. Reason: Captured after her kingdom’s fall, now a slave. Event: Transported by slave merchants, intercepted by Kanata, beginning her servitude.
• Mercuria Kingdom – A neighboring human realm, introduced through Princess Alusia’s approach to Kanata after Flora’s fall, seeking advantage amid shifting power. Reminder: the kingdom that moved in after Flora Kingdom collapsed.
• Aaren Plain – Grassland east of Florence, flanked by Mercuria (south), Alefgard (north), and Alfheim (west). Trade artery for food, steel, and elven goods; lifeline in peace, choke point in blockade. Reminder: Florence’s survival hinges on this crossroads.
• Alefgard Kingdom – One of Florence’s powerful neighboring human realms, its military and political weight helped corner Florence between larger states. Alongside Mercuria, it set the balance that made Florence’s independence fragile. Reminder: the strong neighbor whose presence boxed Florence in.
• Alfheim Kingdom – A demi-human realm of Elves, positioned among the powers bordering Florence. Its existence, along with Alefgard and Mercuria, kept Florence trapped in a triangle of stronger neighbors. Reminder: the elven neighbor whose presence tightened Florence’s cage.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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