Declared Dead, Exiled, and Betrayed— Now I Walk Away, but I'll Save One Who Cared - Chapter 85

There’s a lingering sense of frustration, but King Fanato survived, and the kingdom will continue.

As for Shifa and me, we’ve returned to Riofendarl, where we’ll take it easy—spending our days tormenting dungeons for fun.

“Did you just say torment!? Hey!? You said torment, didn’t you!? You monster!!!”

A shouting voice echoed in the distance, but honestly—I couldn’t care less.

Disemna was gone. It was over.

…But was it really?

There were still so many unanswered questions.

Where did his master go?

What happened to the Orb that Meldor stole all those years ago?

How did Meldor summon another high-ranking demon and turn it into Disemna’s shackle?

But—I would never find those answers.

The neighboring kingdoms had officially withdrawn from the matter.

They had never intended to interfere in Meldor’s internal affairs, only opposing the use of Disemna.

Now that Disemna was defeated, they no longer cared.

Michelle returned home to deliver a formal report to the royal family, and with that—it was over.

She had been offered an arranged marriage, but—

She rejected it and came back.

“Once you and Shifa settle down, you’ll take care of me too, right?”

…Did she mean food? Shelter?

Or maybe—

Before I could make a dumb joke, she punched me.

After that, Claire set off on a journey.

As usual, she explained nothing, so we had no idea where she went.

Honestly, if I heard she was just drunk in some tavern, I’d believe it.

“That’s so mean! I settled all my unfinished business! You’re taking care of me too!”

…So, in other words—

She wanted me to buy her drinks every night?

Or—?

I was deep in thought when she suddenly attacked me, so I tied her up, rolled her out of the viscount’s estate, and kicked her outside.

She seemed happy about it.

Meanwhile, Melia insisted on staying in the city.

She wanted to take over Guildmaster Klein’s position.

Fine. I’d look out for her too.

“Please! I don’t mind taking a room at the far end of the house… and at night, only occasionally—”

What the hell is she saying!?

Naturally, I rejected everyone, especially after getting a cold glare from Shifa.

But…

Michelle was a different matter.

I knew it would probably get me in trouble, but I had to talk to Shifa about it.

“I understand. If it’s Michelle, I have no complaints.”

Shifa’s kindness was overwhelming.

I felt guilty—I was already deciding on a second wife before we were even married.

But I couldn’t just cast aside someone who had stayed by my side since my memories were hazy.

Then—

We visited the dungeon.

“Tch…!”

The moment we arrived, I was glared at, but that wasn’t why we were here today.

“Hey… Shifa. No—”

“How did you figure it out?”

…Disemna.

“Hmph. The moment Shifa’s presence felt different, I knew.

You didn’t possess her—you were just attached to her.”

“And yet, you left me alone?”

“I pitied you.

That’s not something I can say in human society, though.”

“…I see.”

Disemna never tried to attack us.

It didn’t even attempt to control Shifa.

“Then, I’ll release her.”

“If you leave any aftereffects, I swear I’ll kill you a thousand times over.”

“…Understood.”

The moment Disemna detached, Shifa collapsed.

I caught her.

“You okay?”

“Yes… I’m sorry… Just a little longer…”

I tried to help her stand—but she held onto me, refusing to let go.

Well… that was fine.

I was happy, too.

“Stop flirting in front of me, dammit!!!”

…Not listening.

“So cruel!?”

**”So? Disemna, was it? You got huge.

You brought him here because you wanted to talk about the former administrator of Meldor’s dungeon, right?”**

“Yeah. I figured he’d know something.”

“Did I…? If that were the case, I should have just broken in sooner.”

Disemna now looked like a regular middle-aged man.

**”That wasn’t possible, was it? You were expelled during the Stampede.

The fact that you can even enter a dungeon like this now is unnatural.”**

“…I see.”

“Enough. Just talk. Tell us what you know.”

“You’re pretty demanding…”

Well, whatever.

The administrator’s story was something I had already partially expected—

But even so, it was cruel.

In short, the former administrator was already gone.

Vanished.

The Orb that Meldor stole was essentially the administrator’s lifeline.

Without it, they could no longer recover their power and would slowly fade away.

A dungeon automatically drains power from its administrator, and there was no way to resist that.

That was why—

Even when I completely destroyed this dungeon, this administrator survived—because their Orb was still intact.

Had it been damaged or lost, the administrator would have died.

There was only one way to survive—

For someone else to inherit the role of administrator.

But because the original administrator remained inside the dungeon, that never happened.

That was why this guy, who had once been a nascent dungeon, was forced to leave and create another dungeon elsewhere.

And so—

The royal capital’s dungeon withered away.

“Unfortunately.”

“I see…”

The two of them—if they could even be called that—looked genuinely sad.

So this, too, was Meldor’s crime.

And, as Claire had said—her crime as well.

**”It is something all dungeon administrators must accept.

After all, we exist in opposition to humans.

I hold no grudge.”**

“…I see.”

A demon and a dungeon administrator—both discarded and manipulated by human greed.

It was a somber scene.

And there was no salvation.

The administrator was simply erased.

Like any dungeon that had been cleared and conquered.

The Orb that Meldor stole was essentially the administrator’s lifeline.

Without it, they could no longer recover their power and would slowly fade away.

A dungeon automatically drains power from its administrator, and there was no way to resist that.

That was why—

Even when I completely destroyed this dungeon, this administrator survived—because their Orb was still intact.

Had it been damaged or lost, the administrator would have died.

There was only one way to survive—

For someone else to inherit the role of administrator.

But because the original administrator remained inside the dungeon, that never happened.

That was why this one, who had once been a nascent dungeon, was forced to leave and create another dungeon elsewhere.

And so—

The royal capital’s dungeon withered away.

“Unfortunately.”

“I see…”

The two of them—if they could even be called that—looked genuinely sad.

So this, too, was Meldor’s crime.

And, as Claire had said—her crime as well.

**”It is something all dungeon administrators must accept.

After all, we exist in opposition to humans.

I hold no grudge.”**

“…I see.”

A demon and a dungeon administrator—both discarded and manipulated by human greed.

It was a somber scene.

And there was no salvation.

The administrator was simply erased.

Like any dungeon that had been cleared and conquered.

“Hey, why don’t you be the boss here?”

“Me? Are you sure?”

Suddenly, the administrator made an unexpected offer.

**”I don’t mind.

I’ve always been interested in you.

If you’re willing, I’ll set you as the boss—then we can take down Lax together.”**

“That sounds amusing…”

“Hey…”

“I’m sorry! I got carried away! I won’t say it again! I apologize! Please forgive me…!”

Then don’t say it in the first place.

But honestly, I wasn’t even mad.

Those who had lost something dear to Disemna would probably never forgive him.

But at the end of the day, he was just a monster—a demon.

That’s how it always was between humans and demons.

And as for Eranda—

That was partly his fault, too.

If this made the dungeon more entertaining in the future, then so be it.

“You’d better be ready.”

“Hii…!”

“Eek…!”