Act Like a Boss, Mr. Swallow

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[Translator – Kie]

[Proofreader – Demon God]

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“This is Renee’s secret place. Now, it has become a place known only to you and me, Mr Devourer.”

If Patrick is added to the list, won’t it become a well-known place for everyone?

As they entered the secret place, facing the imminent danger of it turning into a public space, Devourer discreetly coughed.

When Renee pushed a magic lamp placed at the end of the red path aside, the secret place appeared. Thinking about Renee, who had worked hard to scrape the walls to create such secret places, Devourer couldn’t help but chuckle. It occurred to him that there might be more than one or two of these spaces, and the thought sent a shiver down his spine.

Laughing and crying, with no sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Renee’s dynamic reactions made Devourer turn his head. Devourer, who had quickly straightened up, raised an eyebrow as if nothing had happened.

Even though Renee called it a secret place, it was a well-organized space rather than having a hastily put together feel. Natural light seeped in through cracks in the ceiling, giving the impression that it was naturally formed. The thickness of the opening seemed substantial, judging by the narrow angle of the light. Devourer, who was casually staring at the single beam of light illuminating the dark dungeon, threw a comment.

“Don’t you think this place needs some maintenance?”

“It’s still romantic, isn’t it?”

Romantic? You have that kind of sensibility too.

I can’t agree with the opinion that it’s romantic. Devourer shouted silently. Not only does he not like bright things, but above all, particles revealed in that light, they’re all dust. He already felt the urge to scratch his nose. He glanced at Renee with concern, wondering if it’s okay for her to live inhaling this kind of dust regularly, although it’s fine for him when he’s in his polymorph form to deal with dust storms or sandstorms without any concern. But is it okay for Renee?

Ah, she’s a homunculus, so maybe it’s fine.

“Mr Devourer, would you like a cup of tea?”

“I’m fine.”

Renee also nodded lightly, perhaps asking out of courtesy. Devourer thought that she handled her duties skillfully. Looking at Renee holding a teapot and cups, Devourer felt that she was a maid indeed, despite the seemingly casual atmosphere.

The sound of pouring tea echoed particularly loudly.

Why is Renee acting like this?

What should I say to break the silence?

“Lately, there have been frequent invasions by humans, Mr Devourer.”

As if she noticed Devourer’s concern, Renee cautiously spoke up.

Yes, I regret it. I should have just turned around. Why didn’t I go to sleep without worrying about this? Regrets flooded in like a tidal wave.

“There were monsters guarding rooms 1 through 5, right?”

“Yes?”

“We probably need to supplement them with stronger ones, don’t we?”

“It seems necessary, Mr Devourer.”

For now, let’s throw a topic out there. In response to the sudden question, Renee, who showed signs of being taken aback, answered briefly.

And silence fell once again.

I should’ve turned around. I shouldn’t have worried about things like this and gone to sleep. Regret filled him like a tide.

“Anyway, it’s better than before. It was much more serious back then.”

“Indeed, 80 years ago, it was quite severe.”

—No, I was talking about the great battle that happened 300 years ago.

Is this a generation gap? For some reason, an unexplained sense of defeat and despair made Devourer utter a surprised “Huh?”.

“That, that’s right. At that time.”

He nodded quickly. After all, discussing the history of an era before Renee was born wouldn’t be polite.

There was no need to go back 300 years, as Renee pointed out. Just 80 years ago, there were frequent clashes, far more intense than the current situation. The reasons for the fights were somewhat hazy in memory, but they were trivial, to say the least.

A frenzy to conquer dungeons between humans on both sides swept through, and within a week, over a thousand dungeons were captured. The number of humans who perished during that time was close to a hundred thousand. The leader of the humans at that time had a strong personality, and I remember using the term “punishment” instead of “subjugation” even in speeches.

Come to think of it, there was a Dungeon that couldn’t withstand the onslaught at that time. Incidentally, the number of people who tried to invade the Primordial Core to defeat Devourer also exceeded thousands.

“You’ve also endured a lot….”

Renee acquired her fame, and her status rose from that time.

“Renee just wanted to show a splendid appearance in front of Mr Devourer.”

Come to think of it, why was Renee so diligent?

“I stayed up for several days and nights. It would have been better if I had taken the lead.”

While saying that, Renee and my eyes met. Devourer, who suddenly pulled out a memory, spoke.

“The right eye, is it okay?”

“….Mr Devourer, you remember. That makes Renee happy.”

It was a sudden remark, but Renee just smiled brightly.

“Mr Devourer.”

The tension eased, and Devourer was convinced. The words to be said from now on are the main point. Soon, Renee slowly stood up from her seat. Devourer unconsciously swallowed dry saliva. Every time the maid with silver hair took a step, droplets from the ceiling fell in sync with the clattering sound of her shoes.

The frills of the fluttering salmon-pink dress stopped fluttering. When the light from the ceiling enveloped Renee, the girl slightly lowered her head. The sparkling dress, dust, and everything combined—

—she looked like a fairy.

“It’s been 80 years since that incident, and you picked up Renee, Mr Devourer. Do you remember?”

“…Of course, I do remember.”

“I don’t know what to do with my body, Mr Devourer.”

It was impossible to forget. Only after hearing Renee’s words did the fragments of memory come together. Yes, that large-scale subjugation of humans happened right after recruiting Renee into the dungeon.

Renee was desperate, even hurting her eyes, just to avoid being abandoned again.

“I was so happy to be by Mr Devourer’s side all this time.”

“No, wait. Renee, saying you’re happy sounds like something you say when you’re parting ways. Don’t tell me you’re resigning before Patrick….”

“Mr Devourer.”

He was cut off mid-sentence. Simultaneously, an inexplicable anxiety gripped Devourer. One would have to be quite foolish not to read such an overt atmosphere. Fortunately or unfortunately, Devourer was not that foolish.

And when that anxiety overwhelmed Devourer, it was already too late.

“Well, uh…”

“….Yes?”

“I like you.”

The answer Devourer had hoped not to hear reached his ears.

“Huh?”

Devourer’s tongue got twisted. But at that moment, he wasn’t in a situation to pay attention to that. Devourer, who coughed for a moment, took a deep breath before thinking again.

Let’s not overthink this. Saying ‘I like you’… well, it’s a phrase that can be easily said. Devourer liked many things. He liked Meat Pie, and this is a secret, but he also really liked wild strawberries growing outside dungeons. It might sound strange, but if you were to ask whether Patrick liked or disliked something in a black-and-white logic, he would obviously like it—

“Please date Renee.”

—Starting with a curveball from the beginning.

Renee’s long eyelashes and her two slender hands with clipped nails trembled as they waited for an answer. The cool breeze from somewhere made her silvery hair flutter lightly. Devourer, worried that the sound of his restlessly tapping foot might reach Renee, felt tension in Renee’s face as she anxiously anticipated whether he could hear it. Her hesitating lips seemed to be getting dry.

“Um, that…”

“Well, I’ve been waiting for this moment for 80 years.”

Whether it was due to the inability to hide his embarrassment, or perhaps the mana also made him unstable, the humanoid Devourer’s body swayed here and there. The remnants of round shapes protruding behind him shook uncontrollably without a clear pattern. It was like a wagging tail of a dog.

Devourer, looking down with his pupils, gave Renee a serious look. However, even so, it felt out of place.

“Um… you see, Renee.”

If the answer was too delayed, he would not be able to do anything. With that judgment, Devourer opened his mouth.

“I’m grateful that you said you like me. But, you know, we are always on the edge of life and death, and this place is both our home and a battlefield. We never know when we might get hurt, when we might die.”

“In that case, please be with Renee even in the moment of death.”

“You know, death is inherently unfair. It’s not like one side wishes to spend their remaining life in loneliness, right?”

“….”

“More than anything, if you do as you say…”

The dungeon will collapse.

What Renee suggested was indeed an embodiment of human behavior, and if it goes as Renee wishes.

Can the boss monster Devourer allow Renee Relow, the Homunculus, to be sent to the battlefield as a sentinel? Impossible. Moreover, it might become the fuse for the collapse of the dungeon system. It was not an easy problem to solve.

It seemed like he should clearly reject it, but Devourer couldn’t bring himself to say, “You’re a Homunculus, and I’m an originless monster.” There were many complicated reasons beyond this.

Devourer couldn’t predict what Renee wanted from him, what the result of her request to “date” would be, and what it would lead to. He couldn’t handle things he didn’t know properly.

“So, this is how it turns out, after all.”

Renee’s response came faster than expected. The word “after all” made Devourer blink. Following that, he heard, “I also expected you to say that, Mr Devourer.” Then she laughed. It was a smile filled more with bitterness than joy.

“Renee…”

Within the calm voice, there emerged concealed and tangled emotions.

“I knew it was an unreasonable request. Somehow, it felt like it would turn out like this. Still, it was too heavy to carry in my heart for a lifetime. I wanted to somehow let it out. But… if I confessed and got rejected, if you turned your back on me, if I got abandoned… that’s too terrifying. Being abandoned is now unbearable. But still, still, somehow I wanted to be loved by you, Mr Devourer. Somehow—somehow—somehow! I wanted to be obsessed! I wanted to be obsessed and wanted!”

“Hey, Renee? Calm down first…”

“Renee!”

Renee Relow.

“Somehow!”

Even if it means resorting to despicable tactics.

“Love…!”

Renee’s voice, screaming like a plea, cooled down abruptly. Amidst this, Devourer, who was left speechless, couldn’t bring himself to calm her down. It was a side of Renee he had never seen before. He couldn’t react because he didn’t expect it. He was struggling to figure out where to stop Renee’s actions.

Finally, when Renee took something out and the voice of her scraping the floor echoed, it pierced Devourer’s ears once again.

“Forgive Renee, please.”

What she pulled out was a heart-shaped red gem.

Renee, who had regained composure after the excitement, extended the gem held in both hands towards Devourer with a gentle expression.

“With this… my wish will come true, Mr Devourer…”

In her eyes, there was madness. A mass of pure instinct consumed by possessiveness. She didn’t look like a girl in love; her gaze, gestures, and even the surrounding atmosphere were eerie. Except for the reddened cheeks, everything else seemed drained of vitality, pale and lifeless.

Renee, tightly gripping the gem with both hands, stared at Devourer with that intense gaze.

“Now, with mana here…!”

Thud!

Thunk!

Before she could finish her sentence, something snapped, burst, and split.

Renee couldn’t conclude her words. Her voice didn’t come out. Her breath didn’t follow.

What’s happening? When trying to ponder the question, Devourer’s voice, broken and tearing through his eardrums like a storm, penetrated Renee’s body.

Are you trying to kill me?

Letters read rhythmically in his mind.

Renee’s pupils dilated.

In front of her, Devourer, who had just moments ago struggled with an expression of difficulty, now had a grotesque face twisted like crumpled scrap metal. The already unstable humanoid form of the human male seemed to be swaying chaotically without maintaining its fixed shape. It looked like a nightmarish scene.

Soon, Devourer’s back burst open. From beneath the flesh, a strange, indescribable something, with memorized patterns, emerged. An immediate sense of coldness enveloped Renee. It wasn’t a drop in body temperature due to the cave’s low temperature. It was the chill emitted by the body sensing danger. Dying. Living. Am I being murdered? The body lost control. Was it malfunctioning, or did it lose the ability to control? Tears flowed uncontrollably. Saliva pooled in the mouth on its own.

The body, arriving at the closest point to death.

—Suddenly, why? Why? Why would Mr Devourer do this to Renee?

The mind trembled as if in convulsions. Unable to withstand the intense shivering, Renee dropped the red love stone she was holding. Falling from a height of over a meter, the red love stone drew several circles on the floor with a loud bang, and then shattered into countless pieces.

Black liquid flowed out along with the shattered red gem.

A nauseating scream echoed along with the unpleasant sound from the liquid.

With the black liquid, something vaporized, and black smoke rose. Subsequently, a pungent odor. At the same time, the shattered gem fragments, which should have been red, began to darken. Something squirming in the stagnant liquid caught Renee’s gaze.

A tiny fetus, in the form of a devil.

“…Huh?”

For a moment, the emptiness that made Renee forget even the situation of death opened her mouth.

“What… is that… uh…?”

It was by no means a form worthy of being called a love stone.

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[Translator – Kie]

[Proofreader – Demon God]

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