TPDGR 30

Chapter 30 ….

“Griffith, are you going shopping again today?”

“Yes. This time, buying meat is difficult due to financial reasons, so I thought we could get some fish instead.”

“I like grilled fish too.”

“That’s fortunate.”

Griffith replied with a smile.

As the captain of the guard and the one assigned to escort supplies from the kingdom, talking with Griffith was important.

“How’s the situation in the kingdom right now?”

“Well…”

Griffith’s expression darkened.

“The war is still ongoing. Over the past month, there have been clashes with monsters. It seemed like the kingdom was gaining the upper hand, but things turned, and now the situation is quite tense.”

“Why? I thought the five kingdoms had united. Shouldn’t they be dominant?”

“Apparently, the monsters, cornered and desperate, have formed an alliance to systematically fight back.”

“So they’ve united too.”

They had to if they wanted to survive.

“Right now, not only the five kingdoms but even the temples are pushing to end the war.”

“I’d like the war to end too. But what about the kingdom you came from, Griffith?”

“King Gregor would insist on continuing the war no matter what. On the other side, they want to establish a system of monster slavery…”

Who would gain the upper hand on this continent?

The dungeon where I live is peaceful, but the fact that slaughter is happening in countries reachable by gates is certainly unsettling.

I wish I could go and stop it myself, but I’m trapped in this dungeon for now.

After some thought, I brought up the status screen.

‘If I level up the dungeon, maybe I’ll get rewards that let me travel elsewhere?’

It was just a hopeful thought, nothing more.

“Anyway, take care. Even if you’re going to a supposedly safe area, it’s still a war zone. Protect the people.”

“Yes, Demon Lord.”

After all, Griffith is an A-rank swordsman.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried…

“By the way, Griffith.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t you think there’s a freeloading little parasite living in this castle?”

“…Huh? A parasite? What do you mean?”

Leaving the puzzled Griffith behind, I threw my shoes toward the wall.

[Drong drong, pufu pufu, kulkuul…]

Bang!

“Ah! W-what the—!”

The mirror hanging right next to the wall rattled and screamed as the shoe hit it.

“That guy.”

[Ah! Save the mirror! That shoe almost shattered me!]

“Hey, parasite! How dare you nap during a sacred state council? I brought you here to serve, and you’re doing nothing?!”

[Technically, I don’t eat a single grain of rice, so I’m not really a parasite…]

“Hey.”

[Yes?]

“Should I lock you back in the mine for a hundred years?”

[No… please…]

“Tch.”

When I glared at the mirror, it whined like a scared child.

This guy… I brought him here to work, and he’s napping blissfully? Right in the royal court?

“Tell me! You make predictions, right? Who do you think will win— the kingdom forces or the monster alliance?”

[Well… probably their fight will drag on long-term unless someone mediates.]

I could’ve said that myself.

“The longer the war drags, the worse it’ll be for both sides, right?”

If the war prolongs, farmland gets contaminated, the economy collapses, security deteriorates, and more people die. Life gets harsh.

…Can I really keep sending townspeople to shop in a place like that?

The situation in neighboring kingdoms would inevitably affect me and the dungeon.

“Hmph, that’s why I hate war.”

[There’s really nothing we can do right now.]

The mirror hesitated for a moment, then spoke.

[Well, I can see what King Gregor is doing right now.]

“What?”

The mirror sounded awkward as we stared.

[Why are you staring like that?]

“…Why are you only telling me this now?”

“Mirror attendant, why didn’t you mention this earlier?”

Griffith and I questioned it in turn, and the mirror’s voice grew louder.

[Huh? What do you mean?]

“If we could see what Gregor is thinking, at least we could avoid their wrath.”

[Oh… is that so?]

“Yes! If we can watch both the king and the monsters, we can decide how to act! But instead, you just nap?”

The mirror!

Anger rose in me again.

I could be the only one aware of the situation of other nations and factions? That’s an overpowered skill!

The mirror, feeling wronged, raised its voice.

[Hey! You didn’t ask me!]

“…Fine. Griffith, bring me that mirror.”

“Oh, no, Demon Lord. You must not break the mirror…!”

[Ah! Save the mirror! Griffith, don’t give me to them! Ah! Aah!]

The mirror screamed.

Despite the war with monsters throwing the continent into chaos, the living must survive.

In a small market on the outskirts, Griffith and the puppeteers were hurriedly buying the necessary supplies.

“This should be enough fish. No need to buy fruits since we have Maffitnune. Oh, the Demon Lord likes bread, right? Should we get some?”

“How much is it?”

“It’s gone up a lot because of the war.”

“Then we’ll just get a small amount.”

Gold comes out of the mines, but ghosts are slow to act, and the dungeon residents are busy with their duties.

Unless we hire extra miners, their usable resources are limited.

‘Better to think frugally for now.’

If the war worsens, we might end up living in the dungeon eating only Maffitnune for months.

“Let’s also buy pickled vegetables, lard, and nuts.”

“Good.”

Griffith adapted the plan quickly, protecting the puppeteers.

“Poor things, those kids.”

The children looked like refugees in the midst of war.

Griffith frowned at the scruffy children.

Life was peaceful and happy in the sunny Demon Lord’s dungeon, but passing through a gate exposed so many heartbreaking scenes.

‘The war must end soon.’

If someone else were to take King Gregor’s place, or at least a kind ruler like Ana, Griffith might finally feel at ease.

He quietly placed bread near the children without making it obvious.

Then, suddenly:

“Wait!”

Armed knights and soldiers appeared out of nowhere.

“You there.”

A knight on a white horse pointed at Griffith, hooded.

“Take off your hood.”

“…Why are you doing this?”

“We already know who you are. Don’t play innocent!”

“….”

“You don’t intend to kill your companions, do you?”

The soldiers brandished sharp spears at the three of them.

Griffith hid the two puppeteers behind him and drew his sword.

“Haha, showing your true colors, Griffith. We knew you lived with monsters in the dungeon!”

“The kingdom refused me first. Why are you doing this now?”

“No, this is all because you sided with the monsters, you filthy traitor!”

Griffith sighed, bowing his head.

“Honestly, I expected you’d come to intimidate me like this.”

“…What? You expected it?”

The knight was taken aback.

They had been ordered to secretly ambush him by the general… How could he have predicted this?

‘Could it mean our intel leaked?’

At that moment, a man suddenly jumped out from the bushes.

“W-who are you!”

Pale face, black hair, dressed entirely in dark clothing.

The aura he exuded made the knight freeze.

The man drew his sword from its sheath.

Their eyes met, sharp and piercing.

“A-attack!”

Terrified, the knight shouted indiscriminately.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The spearmen charged, but the man’s swordsmanship easily overpowered them, sending them sprawling on the ground. Even the knight who tried to fight was no match.

The horse that carried the knight had long fled.

The fallen knight coughed and looked up at the man.

“…Who… who are you! Reveal yourself!”

Feeling like he was facing life and death, he demanded it with dignity.

The man looked displeased.

“You don’t need to know my name.”

“Ugh!”

“I won’t kill you. But take this and deliver it to your king.”

The knight took the letter with trembling hands.

It looked like it was scribbled on a rough piece of parchment with no envelope.

The knight’s eyes darted back and forth before he sighed deeply.

“You… you are…!”

He muttered, staring at Hyunjin.

“You were the Demon Lord’s messenger!”

“….”

Well, technically, since he delivered a message, that made him a messenger…

‘I keep ending up in these positions unintentionally.’

Hyunjin turned away from the knight with a reluctant expression.