I Have a Stalker of Noble Status. And to Make Matters Worse, their Numbers are Increasing (BL) - Chapter 33

Three days after arriving in Humming Barony, we found ourselves standing before the dungeon at the edge of the territory.

“Ohhh! So this is the dungeon I’ve heard so much about! Just look at its imposing presence. This is going to be a challenge worth tackling!”

Douglas’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

Honestly, he had been way too energized throughout our entire journey from the capital.

Apparently, he was thrilled by how the monsters grew stronger the further we traveled.

Yeah, well, for the people who actually live here, that’s not exciting in the slightest.

The ones entering the dungeon today were Ray, Max, Douglas, and me.

If we had even tried to leave Douglas behind, he probably would’ve started an outright rebellion.

And I mean that literally.

Angelica and Lady Violetta were staying behind.

Honestly, we should have been resting too, considering we had just finished a long journey.

“Come on, Lord Patrick! Let’s go in already! I can’t hold back any longer! May I enter now? Please!?”

…Douglas had been like this the entire time.

Honestly, it was impressive that we even managed to keep him waiting for three days.

Normally, Douglas wasn’t this impatient.

But when it came to training, subjugation missions, or anything combat-related, a switch seemed to flip inside him.

As I sighed in exasperation, Max, standing beside me, muttered under his breath—

“…Meathead.”

Yeah, no arguments there.

From now on, I’m calling this his Meathead Mode.

That being said, Max wasn’t much better.

As soon as we left the capital, his eyes practically lit up as he started gathering data.

Apparently, Humming Barony wasn’t included in the original game’s adventure areas, meaning this entire region was new to him.

In his past life, Max had been obsessed with data collection, route analysis, and completionism in general.

And now, right before his eyes, was an entirely unexplored area.

Of course, he couldn’t contain himself.

Just last night, he was practically bouncing with excitement, mapping out the dungeon and speculating about possible new monster entries for his bestiary.

Honestly, between him and Douglas, their enthusiasm levels were about the same.

Not that I’d ever say that out loud—Max would definitely get mad.

**“Lord Douglas, I understand your enthusiasm, but the monsters in Humming Barony tend to be stronger than average.

Keep your guard up.”**

Ray’s warning made Douglas straighten up immediately, realizing he had been leaning forward in anticipation.

Phew, that was close.

Douglas should be fine, but staying this wound up isn’t safe.

That being said… Ray himself had been looking unusually relaxed lately.

Actually, not just today—he had been in high spirits ever since our journey started.

Or maybe relaxed is the better word?

Having experienced seven cycles of death and rebirth, Ray had seen far too many sides of people.

Perhaps the capital, where he was constantly surrounded by familiar faces, had become suffocating for him.

I mean, think about it—could you really trust someone who had betrayed you in a past life, just because time had reset?

Yeah… probably not.

Well, as long as everyone’s enjoying themselves, I guess that’s what matters.

I did feel a little bad for my parents, though.

But at least my friends weren’t like the other high-ranking nobles—they weren’t arrogant or overbearing.

Once they spent more time together, I was sure my parents would come to like them.

My younger brothers had already warmed up to them pretty quickly.

**“Alright, let’s head inside.

We’ll only be exploring the first level today to get a feel for the place. Understood?”**

“Got it.”

“Understood.”

“YEAHHHHH!!!”

…We may have one exception, but I guess it’ll be fine.

Dungeons come in all shapes and sizes.

The one in Humming Barony is a cave-type.

At first glance, it looks like a natural cave, but the deeper you go, the more artificial it starts to appear.

Who built it?

When?

Why?

Or was it naturally formed?

The truth about dungeons remains a mystery.

“Watch your step, it’s dark here. Once we get through this passage, it’ll be brighter.”

As I led the group, I explained the dungeon’s layout.

Truth be told, I had entered this dungeon many times before.

It wasn’t common knowledge, but the monsters in the lower floors didn’t just stay in the dungeon. If left unchecked, they would eventually start venturing outside.

In Humming Barony, my family and the local militia conducted monster subjugation missions several times a year to keep them in check, and I had been participating in them since I was twelve.

Now that I couldn’t return home regularly for those missions, my eldest younger brother, Cedric, had taken over in my place.

Honestly, the first floor was easy enough that even I could solo it.

With this party, we could probably clear the third floor without breaking a sweat.

“Three incoming! Monsters ahead!”

“Goblins. Nothing unusual.”

“Allow me to handle them!”

Max calmly analyzed the situation, while Douglas immediately drew his sword, stepping forward to engage.

Three goblins weren’t even a challenge for Douglas.

Before they could react, he had already cut them down.

His skill was ridiculous.

We continued moving forward, occasionally encountering more monsters.

But on the first floor, it was only ever goblins or slimes.

To be honest, it wasn’t even a fight—Douglas and Ray were taking down enemies so quickly that I hadn’t gotten a single turn yet.

**“…You’re dispatching them too fast. It’s making it hard to collect proper data.

Compared to the goblins found in dungeons near the capital, these ones seem stronger overall, but the exact reason is still unclear…”**

Muttering to himself, Max pulled out the small magical device he often used before.

A white screen, about the size of a notebook, lit up as he began inputting data.

Oh, the screen size is adjustable? That’s pretty convenient.

It must be really useful in cramped areas like this.

As I was idly observing Max’s magical device while keeping an eye on our surroundings, I suddenly noticed something.

From an entirely different direction than where Douglas and Ray were fighting, a slime lunged straight at Max.

“Watch out!”

I immediately drew my sword and swung at the slime—

ZUBASHAAAN—!!

The moment my sword made contact, the slime exploded with an outrageous sound.

“…Huh?”