TPDGR 21

Chapter 21 …

“What the—!”

Is this guy crazy? Why would I accept that from Han Hyunjin?!

[No, on the back of your hand! On the back of your hand!]

As I genuinely freaked out, the mirror quickly added an explanation.

Phew, thank goodness.

So it was telling me to take something like a knight’s oath.

I put the mirror away again and glanced at Han Hyunjin.

He seemed completely confused.

Of course, it was only a very subtle change in expression.

Right… if Han Hyunjin keeps entering the dungeon without losing curiosity about me…

‘Maybe it would actually be good for me to make Han Hyunjin obey me.’

I wasn’t sure exactly how to do that yet, though.

Even after some time, Griffith and his group hadn’t appeared.

Could it be that they left because it got late?

Han Hyunjin seemed to think the same and stood up.

“Shall we walk around if we’re done eating? I think it’d be better than just sitting here.”

“Hmph, fine.”

I got up, pretending to be reluctant.

My butt was already sore from sitting on the bare ground, so this worked out.

I held the mirror under my arm, keeping my head high to interpret the Demon Lord character.

Walking side by side with Han Hyunjin, my fear noticeably lessened.

He was big, solid, and good at fighting, so it was reassuring.

The urge to make Han Hyunjin mine also surged.

The question was… how?

As I walked through the cave, lost in thought, it happened.

“Ah!”

Thunk.

I tripped over a protruding rock.

Just as I was about to fall face-first onto the stone floor, someone quickly grabbed my hand.

“Huh.”

When I came to, I was leaning against Han Hyunjin’s chest.

Wait, what?

His chest?

“Are you okay?”

He asked from extremely close range.

The sudden situation was surprising and, at the same time, gave me chills.

What is this, behaving like a romance-fantasy heroine?

No reason, just being shoved and almost falling. And of course, the male lead has to catch her.

Why am I, the Demon Lord, acting like a romance-fantasy heroine?

Shivering, I pushed Han Hyunjin’s chest with the mirror and stepped back.

[Ah! Damn it!]

The mirror screamed, but I ignored it.

I wanted to say something bold and Demon Lord-like, but nothing came to mind.

All my Demon Lord lines for today were used up.

Speechless, I strode ahead.

Soon enough, Han Hyunjin walked beside me.

Trying to show off those long legs, huh?

I felt oddly irritated, and yet my heart thumped.

…Wait a second.

Thumping?

My heart was thumping?

I frowned seriously, lost in thought.

Obedience is a deep and weighty matter, but if I built rapport step by step, it didn’t seem impossible.

What if I tried sudden physical contact like now?

Like a romance-fantasy heroine, he’d think, “Oh my, what’s this?!” and feel a huge emotional shift, right?

Then I’d seem different.

His heart would race, right?

I’d finally get to use my romance-fantasy knowledge.

Determined to increase Han Hyunjin’s favorability, I narrowed my eyes.

‘If he looks like he’s about to fall, this time I’ll catch him.’

When a cruel, obsessive guy catches a falling heroine, it’s more thrilling than if a gentle, nerdy guy did.

Following Han Hyunjin, I imagined myself as the romance-fantasy male lead.

‘But… he doesn’t seem like he’s going to fall.’

Of course, he was holding a torch, so as long as he was careful, it wouldn’t be easy to trip.

What should I do in this case?

I looked for a chance and thought of a trick.

“Han Hyunjin.”

“What?”

As he turned to look at me—

‘Got him!’

I extended my shadow tentacle and grabbed his ankle.

If he doesn’t fall, I’ll make him fall!

With a wicked smile, I successfully tripped Han Hyunjin.

Even an S-rank ranked hunter isn’t invincible against a sneak attack—his body tilted halfway.

Now’s the moment.

I could catch him and deliver a cool line…

Wait.

The moment I grabbed the edge of Han Hyunjin’s coat, I realized something was terribly wrong.

This guy…

He’s way too heavy.

What did this pig eat before coming here?

Before I could think further, I fell over while still holding onto Han Hyunjin’s coat…

Suddenly.

Someone caught us.

I blinked, still holding Han Hyunjin’s coat.

Because someone grabbed my neck from behind, I didn’t fall.

Wow, we almost rolled on this filthy ground.

Han Hyunjin, caught just as he was about to fall, frowned while looking at my face.

“What the heck…”

“Ahem, ahem.”

I cleared my throat awkwardly.

Squirming, my shadow tentacle extended, supporting both me and Han Hyunjin mid-fall.

Han Hyunjin looked at me with a face that seemed to demand an explanation.

“Hmm… it must have been dark; I must have misseen. Sorry.”

“….”

I had tried to catch him like a romance-fantasy heroine, but failed.

If I’d known he was this solid and heavy, I would’ve prepared.

He’s heavier than he looks.

I boldly lifted my head, feeling Han Hyunjin’s sharp gaze.

Anyway…

“Phew, thanks for catching me. How did we meet at such perfect timing? You guys were looking for me, right?”

I turned my back with a smile.

Surely someone had caught Han Hyunjin while I was about to fall.

I assumed it was Griffith and his group.

But…

What?

It was empty.

Behind me, the cave stretched endlessly, not a soul in sight.

A chill ran down my spine.

“Ahhhh!”

A ghost again!

I screamed and clung to Han Hyunjin.

“Demon Lord!”

Even as I clung tightly, Han Hyunjin didn’t wobble at all.

He only looked at me with a bewildered expression.

“I want to get out. I don’t want to be here! Ah! Get me out quickly!”

[Ugh, what’s with him? Seriously.]

Clinging to his waist like a cicada on an old tree, the mirror sighed deeply in my arms.

“Scared?”

Han Hyunjin, looking reluctant, hesitated to hold my back but finally sighed and shook his head.

“Then let’s go as we are.”

“Yeah…”

I clung to him, looking as pitiful as possible.

If I had pushed him away, I might have felt bad.

Han Hyunjin began walking back the way we came, me hanging on his side.

“Demon Lord!”

After leaning on him for a while, I heard voices in the distance—Griffith and his group, holding torches.

“Griffith, Joanna, the orcs… and… even the puppeteers?”

“Kyuu! Kyuu!”

I looked at them with a slightly moved expression.

Everyone from the village had come to the mine because I disappeared.

I quickly jumped down and stood proudly on my own two feet.

“Good work, everyone. You found me, huh?”

“I’m so glad you’re safe!”

“We were really surprised when you suddenly disappeared!”

“It’s nothing.”

I scoffed coolly.

I thought about telling them about the secret room in the mine, but since it contained my property, I stayed silent.

Whenever needed, I could visit using the mirror’s power.

I hugged Ryu, who had jumped into my arms, and looked at the others.

“Anyway, my disappearance must have disrupted the mine exploration.”

Even without my disappearance, they’d still have had time to explore the mine.

Plus, they brought the puppeteers who were busy preparing. I felt a little guilty.

Joanna’s face brightened.

“If that’s the case, don’t worry, Demon Lord.”

“Huh? Don’t worry?”

“They say this mine, though not abundant, has gold deposits.”

“They say?”

If gold is there, it’s there.

‘They say’… what does that even mean?

Did someone tell them?

After all, Ryu and I started the dungeon alone. Who would have told anyone…

Thunk.

Someone tapped my shoulder from behind.

Turning around, I saw a pale figure and opened my mouth.

“…Ah!”

I screamed instinctively, and my shadow tentacle shot out, piercing the pale figure’s head.

“Ahhh! A g-ghost!”

Something even stranger happened.

The opaque energy that had been shredded by my tentacle reformed into a head.

Even if I attack, it regenerates.

This is why ghosts are the worst. Physical force doesn’t work at all.

Just as I was about to scream in despair a second time, Joanna approached with a bright face.

“This is one of the mine guardians.”