S-Class Dungeon’s Mistress - Chapter 207

Chapter 207

"Welcome."

As the gentle voice reached her ears, Adelaide blinked like a fool. A wrinkled face, white hair, and kind eyes gradually filled her field of vision.

"You must have had a long journey. Please, sit down."

The thin, elderly man guided Adelaide and Lisianthus to their seats with a kind demeanor. She fluttered her eyelashes in embarrassment while politely bowing her head.

"Thank you for inviting me, I... well…"

Adelaide cautiously glanced around. She didn't know the old man's name. In fact, before meeting him, she knew nothing about his age, appearance, or any other information.

He was the owner of Eligos, one of the only two S-ranked dungeons, and the most famous among them.

Unlike Krossel, Eligos was not a dungeon that completely concealed everything, but information about its owner had been thoroughly kept secret. Apparently, the dungeon master was extremely reluctant to have his personal information spread.

For Adelaide, who enjoyed attention and fame, this attitude was incomprehensible.

"I'm Cael. Please feel free to call me that."

"Yes, Cael. I'm Adelaide. It's an honor to meet you."

"Honor? Hardly. I'm the one who's delighted to meet such an extraordinary person."

However, upon directly facing Cael, she could somewhat understand why he kept his information secret.

The demon before her seemed very kind, appeared quite aged, and simultaneously looked weak. Since genuinely powerful demons rarely aged, her assumption was likely correct.

Based on his energy, he seemed to possess the capabilities of an upper-level demon. He wasn't weak enough to be dismissed entirely, but he was far from what one would expect from an S-ranked dungeon master. He was so dubious that she wondered how he had attained his position.

If such information were to spread, Eligos would undoubtedly be swarming with demons attempting to claim the master's position. As a succubus, Adelaide could understand this sentiment even more deeply. Even now, having acquired devil-level power, she often encountered those questioning how a succubus could be an A-ranked dungeon master.

"Would you prefer coffee or tea?"

"Oh, coffee, please."

Lost in her thoughts for a moment, she was brought back to reality by the question from an Eligos demon. She glanced sideways, slightly flustered, at the demon pouring her coffee, noticing two horns protruding from his head.

She had sensed something was unusual about his energy, and it seemed he was Philippagos, the devil and chief manager of Eligos.

"Thank you, Philip. Why don't you sit down?"

"No, Master. I will stand guard behind you. Please let me know if you need anything."

"Your stubbornness is truly unbreakable. You should rest comfortably."

Watching their warm conversation, Adelaide recalled the information Lisianthus had shared before coming here.

Eligos's most significant characteristic was the incredibly close relationship between its master and its demon servants. Just by observing the demons, who smiled affectionately towards Cael while remaining vigilant against potentially disrespectful attitudes, she could see the truth of this information.

'Even as an upper-level demon, he's maintained his dungeon master position for so long because of these relationships. Impressive.'

She briefly reflected, recognizing that lately, she'd rarely spent leisurely time with her own subordinates. While she found joy in traversing the demon realm together and serving, she wasn't certain her subordinates felt the same way.

"Please, eat."

"Yes, thank you."

The meal began with Cael's invitation. The food prepared in Eligos was not as good as what Lisianthus made, but it was warm and delicious. Adelaide carefully ate each bite, wary of potential poison, while enjoying her conversation with Cael.

The topic mostly centered on the volunteer work she had been proactively leading recently. He highly praised her volunteer spirit, expressing gratitude for leading connections in unexpected directions. He admitted that while he had always harbored similar sentiments, he had never actually implemented them.

This was also why he had agreed to her request to meet him in person, despite being known for his secrecy.

"Adelaide, I felt I could meet you. More precisely, I knew I absolutely had to meet you. I had an instinct that if I missed this opportunity, I would regret it until my dying breath."

"You flatter me."

"I'm not just saying this."

At his age, one naturally develops certain perceptions. Cael softly smiled with his eyes as he added this.

Adelaide blinked, unable to fully understand his meaning. Whatever—it was a compliment, so it must be good. Smiling simply, she saw Cael also let out a small laugh.

As the atmosphere flowed pleasantly, she cautiously broached her main point.

"I... have something I'm curious about."

"Yes, please ask freely."

"Do you happen to know the conditions for becoming S-ranked?"

Cael's eyes momentarily widened. He apparently hadn't anticipated she would ask such a question. He slowly caressed his teacup, quietly staring at Adelaide.

"Well... I'm afraid I don't know. I apologize for not being able to help."

Adelaide bit her lip in disappointment. She had thought the owner of Eligos would know. Her last hope had vanished. Though disappointment welled up, she managed her expression. Then, with a determination to learn something, anything, she continued.

"Then, are there any special actions you took to rise to S-rank?"

Cael quietly rubbed his chin as if recalling memories. Though the silence was brief, Adelaide's heart raced with anticipation and anxiety.

"No, I didn't perform any special activities. I just lived as usual."

"Oh…"

"To begin with, I never thought about raising my rank to S-class. There was no reason to do so. In fact, I hoped my rank wouldn't rise too much. I didn't want to live my entire life under the surveillance of the Demon King's Castle."

Among many potential responses she had imagined, this was entirely unexpected. The owner of the Eligos dungeon hadn't wanted to become S-ranked! Adelaide blankly opened and closed her mouth in astonishment.

Then, he posed a cold, precise question.

"So, Adelaide, why do you want to become S-ranked?"

"Well, of course…"

She tried to answer confidently but immediately faltered. The reason for becoming S-ranked. It seemed to exist, yet she couldn't quite remember.

Cael offered advice in a kind voice to the bewildered Adelaide.

"Before trying to discover the conditions, it would be good to clarify why you want to become S-ranked. To achieve your goals, your intentions must be clear."

His words struck her precisely, leaving her unable to offer any rebuttal.

Returning to Greenville after dining with Cael, Adelaide fell into deep contemplation. Their conversation had delivered a massive shock.

She had been so eager to become S-ranked, yet couldn't even remember the reason. Even thinking about it herself, the situation was utterly embarrassing.

What was even more shocking was that the reason remained unclear.

'Just... because S-rank is the highest rank.'

The only reason she could conjure was pathetically simple. In fact, the very first reason she had pledged to become S-ranked wasn't much different.

'I first declared it in front of Lisianthus, thinking one should have big dreams. After that, I just repeated it out of momentum.'

Originally, her goal was simply to repay her debt and create a large, good dungeon that would allow her to hire Penelope. That was all. She had vaguely set her dream of becoming S-ranked because she thought it would enable her to achieve this.

And Adelaide had already accomplished all of that. She had repaid her debt long ago, her dungeon had grown larger and more beautiful than she had imagined, and while she hadn't directly hired Penelope, she had successfully completed the contract.

So why did she now desire to become S-ranked? If the sole reason was merely that it was the highest rank, did she really need to be so anxious about raising her ranking?

'What is it that I truly want?'

She questioned herself. What was she genuinely dreaming of, and what exactly would she gain by becoming S-ranked after all her struggles?

Power. It would be a lie to say she had no desire for it. Adelaide was, after all, a demon with underlying ambition.

However, even as an A-ranked dungeon master, she already wielded sufficient power. She could purchase everything her subordinates needed, and she could rescue friends in danger. While she couldn't properly confront the Demon King's Castle, that would remain impossible even if she became S-ranked.

She simply wanted to continue being happy. To live happily alongside her precious demons, experiencing both enjoyable and challenging moments.

'Just... like now.'

Adelaide slowly rolled her eyes, surveying her surroundings. Today's work had just concluded, and her subordinates were gathered, playing around.

Bell, biting a shin bone and running away excitedly, with skeletons chasing him. Raham and Pia displaying affection among the Durahans. Cereza and Cerezos sitting at the bar, elegantly drinking blood. The distant sounds of Julliard's snoring and dwarves hammering.

It was a peaceful and happy scene.

Staring at it as if recording it in her eyes, she finally spoke slowly.

"Hey. Would you all want Greenville to become S-ranked?"

An unexpected question, but gazes converged on her. The first to respond was none other than the skeleton commander.

"Huh? Of course!"

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