S-Class Dungeon’s Mistress - Chapter 208

Chapter 208

The Skeletons nodded their heads in agreement with their captain.

"That's right. We'll make it happen somehow, so just trust us!"

The Durahans, who had left claiming they could no longer watch the love affair between Raham and Pia, shouted confidently.

Caladium seized the moment to tease them.

"Where did you weaklings get such confidence?"

"We're not weak anymore!"

"Hehe, sure."

You're the strongest in the demon realm. He playfully gave a thumbs up and wrapped one arm comfortingly around Adelaide's shoulders. Warm affection seeped into her skin, gradually filling her heart.

"What if..."

Adelaide glanced sideways, catching Lisianthus approaching her. His smile, as always, was as warm as spring sunlight.

"What if this isn't actually my dream? What if I say I won't become an S-rank... will you still not be disappointed?"

A hint of worry leaked through her small voice. She feared they might find her ridiculous, or that they might leave her if she seemed to give up too easily.

But the response remained as gentle as ever.

"Of course! Adelaide, why would we be disappointed in you? We're happy like this because of you!"

The Skeleton captain patted his armor, telling her not to say such nonsense. One of his ribs even fell off in the process, but no one found it amusing. They were too focused on responding.

"Don't worry about that. We'll sincerely support you no matter what decision you make."

"That's right. Even if you decided right now to abandon the dungeon and go live on a quiet farm, we'd follow you without hesitation. What matters is that we're together, not what dungeon rank we are."

Raham and Pia rushed forward to add their support. Pia's whispered voice, saying how could they possibly disappoint Lady Adelaide, sounded incredibly tender.

"Kiiing... Mang!"

Bell, seemingly sensing Adelaide's uncertain mood, leaped into her arms and rubbed his head wildly. His tail swayed slowly, creating an adorably affectionate scene.

The final comfort came from Greenville's manager.

"It's okay, Adel."

Lisianthus, kneeling on one knee before her, smiled softly.

"It doesn't matter if I don't become S-rank. I'm happy just the way things are right now."

It wasn't just me who was happy.

Adelaide was momentarily speechless, her lips quivering. Then suddenly, she bit her lip and hung her head.

The other dungeon members willingly waited for her. Even Caladium, for once, read the mood and didn't tease her with "Are you crying?"

"...Thank you, everyone."

After several minutes of silence, she raised her head and spoke in a soft voice. Her eyes shone brightly between her disheveled hair.

"All I want is for us to stay healthy and happy together, just like now. No matter what rank we end up with."

Though becoming F-rank would be a bit troublesome. Adelaide added playfully, hugging Bell, who had burrowed into her embrace. Meanwhile, Caladium, seemingly jealous, hugged her from behind.

"We feel the same way!"

The Skeletons, deeply moved, rushed over to join the group hug. When their hard bones started poking her skin, Caladium yelled at them to get away, but his influence in Greenville was as minimal as Shuville's. Cereza clapped in amazement at this bizarre scene of monsters ignoring demons.

"Aaah! Get away! Don't hug so disgustingly! What the hell are you touching?"

"That's right! We love you too, Caladium!"

"What the hell...! Hey, Half-breed! Don't just stand there watching, help me get rid of them!"

"Why would I do that? It looks good, so keep going."

Noisy voices echoed everywhere. But for Adelaide, even this commotion felt incredibly precious. This moment was so valuable that she almost feared time passing.

'Now I really don't mind not becoming S-rank.'

Indeed, she understood what truly mattered to her and would no longer harbor unnecessary desires. The lingering attachment she couldn't previously explain quickly vanished, replaced by satisfaction with the present moment.

And then, a miracle happened.

Pah!

Everyone turned their heads toward the light bursting from behind. Light sparkling in various colors. It was strangely familiar.

"Wait, what is that...!"

Adelaide, poking her head between the Skeletons, muttered blankly. As expected, the light's source was the dungeon pad in Greenville. However, the situation was different from previous times when it had quietly settled down.

Hwaa-ak—!

"Ack!"

"Mang!"

Intense flashes flickered from all directions, and soon the entire dungeon was dyed pure white. Dungeon members reflexively screamed as a slight vibration began.

Adelaide managed to open her eyes and quickly survey her surroundings. Lisianthus and Lupinus were already firmly guarding her side. Caladium still clung tightly to her.

'These vibrations...!'

The scale was much smaller, but it was very similar to the response when a dungeon rank increased. She looked up with a shocked expression. Could it really be? She unconsciously whispered in disbelief.

Then the awaited notification sound rang through the dungeon.

[The dungeon's rank is― rank is― iiii―]

[Reward―]

[The, the dungeon― up, up― issued―]

However, unlike what she knew, the voice was very static-filled. It sounded like something was malfunctioning.

[Dungeon, rank... Beeeep!]

Thud, Ku-gung!

Even sharp explosive sounds began to sound like something was exploding.

What's happening?

Adelaide looked anxiously at Lisianthus. Unfortunately, he also seemed to be experiencing this phenomenon for the first time and was busy scanning the surroundings with cold eyes.

And then another flash burst forth.

Paaat!

The brilliance was so intense that she finally closed her eyes tightly. Even with her eyes shut, everything was blindingly bright.

After moments or perhaps minutes, the light finally subsided. Adelaide carefully lifted her eyelids, her brow furrowed.

"...What?"

Someone from her demons muttered in bewilderment. And rightfully so—despite such a massive commotion, nothing had changed. The living room hadn't expanded, no new rooms had appeared, and no unexpected rewards had materialized. It was the same Greenville dungeon as before.

"There's not a single difference?"

"Was it just another glitch like last time?"

The Durahans whispered, tilting their heads. Though their faces weren't visible, she could imagine their disappointed expressions from experience. They too had expected the dungeon rank to increase based on past occurrences.

Meanwhile, Adelaide walked slowly, almost in a trance, toward the dungeon pad.

Possessed, she picked up the pad and carefully touched the screen. The pad's appearance remained unchanged, but Adelaide instinctively knew.

'The rank has increased.'

Soon, the information window that appeared confirmed her intuition.

[Greenville Dungeon]

―Owner: Adelaide

―Rank: S

―Owned Assets: 182 Alma

―Dungeon Members: 65

―Number of Rooms: 250

―Trap Rooms: 4

―Portal Count: 6

Rank S.

Adelaide stood frozen like ice, staring blankly at the black text. Though this was the rank she had desperately wanted over the past few months, having just abandoned her attachment to it, she felt surprisingly little excitement. How did this happen? It was just confusing and somewhat amusing.

"Wh-what? What does it say?"

One Skeleton, unable to contain his curiosity, asked. Though they had said S-rank didn't matter, they were apparently still secretly hopeful.

Adelaide turned around with a bright smile, facing her dungeon members.

"Looks like we're having another party tonight?"

She confidently held out the dungeon pad.

Soon, thunderous cheers erupted, and another endless round of hugs began. As always, Caladium grimaced and shouted in protest while still unable to escape the skeletons' love.

And so, the Greenville Dungeon finally reached S-rank.

---

What followed was truly a golden period.

The news that the Greenville Dungeon had reached S-rank spread throughout the demon realm, and Adelaide instantly rose to stardom.

The grandiose title of 'Savior of the Demon Realm' became even more entrenched, and demons lined up wanting to join her. She became so popular that whenever she went to the market, unknown demons would follow her, continuously confessing their admiration. Of course, those who were overly aggressive were dealt with harshly by two devils and one half-breed.

She became incredibly busy. Countless heroes rushed in, having heard about the new S-rank dungeon.

Where previously she had been popular due to Brikaver leaves, now heroes continuously challenged her, determined to be the first to conquer an S-rank dungeon. Without the support of her subordinate dungeons and Morpheus, her dungeon members would have been unable to sleep, dealing with the swarms of heroes.

The frequent visits from high-ranking heroes were also beneficial for Greenville. With no hero extermination rewards from the Demon King's Castle, these heroes became a good source of income.

The stronger and more famous the hero, the better equipment and consumables they brought. Some of these items were extremely valuable in the demon realm.

Adelaide funded her operations by selling the items left behind by fallen heroes. When her notoriety became too high and popularity temporarily waned, she would sometimes resort to methods from her memories.

"Kyaak! Please spare me!"

"Shut up! You're part of this dungeon, right? If you quietly guide me to the treasure room, I won't kill you. Understand?"

"Yes, yes! I'll do that. Please just spare my life!"

Dylan, the hero she had captured—or rather, who thought he had been captured—smiled slyly when the frightened hero trembled and begged.

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