When Greg woke up, the first thing he saw was an unfamiliar ceiling. The grayish-yellow stone dome was covered in fine cracks, with several vine-like plants hanging down and swaying gently in the dim light.
He blinked, his mind going blank for a brief moment before his consciousness rushed back like a tide. He suddenly remembered something and practically bolted upright from the ground, shouting, “Allie!”
“I’m right here, idiot young master. You’re going to make me deaf with all that yelling.” A familiar voice, laced with its usual laziness and sharp tongue, drifted over from nearby.
Greg looked toward the sound and saw Allie squatting near a campfire, poking at the flames with a wooden stick. The firelight illuminated her profile, and her expression looked no different than usual.
“Ha, looks like I made it in time.” Seeing Allie standing there completely unharmed, Greg’s heart, which had been lodged in his throat, finally settled back into his chest.
He let out a long sigh of relief, his legs going weak as he slumped back down onto the ground. He remembered now—at the final moment, he had successfully arrived, used his World-Devouring Black Flame to incinerate those three Time Monsters, and saved Allie.
But when he thought about what might have happened if he had been even a few seconds later, Greg felt a cold sweat soak through the back of his shirt. Allie stood up and walked over, carrying a ceramic bowl with a slightly chipped rim.
It was filled with hot water that had already cooled enough to be drinkable. She knelt down in front of Greg and handed him the bowl. “Drink some water. Your face is as pale as a ghost’s.”
Greg took the bowl and gulped it down. The warm water slid down his throat and into his stomach, making him feel a bit more alive. He set the bowl down, took a deep breath, and began the lecture he had been brewing.
“Allie, do you have any idea how dangerous what you did was? We agreed to move together, but you just charged straight into the second layer alone! Do you know how dangerous the dungeon is? If something had actually happened to you—”
Greg went on and on, getting more agitated and energetic as he spoke. But strangely, Allie didn’t offer a single rebuttal throughout the entire process.
She just sat there quietly beside him, head bowed and hands clasped over her knees, looking like an elementary school student getting scolded. As Greg continued, he gradually sensed something was wrong—this was too abnormal.
If it were the usual Allie, she would have long since snapped back with a sharp remark or simply drawn her sword and held it to his throat, smiling while threatening to shut him up forever. To have her sit there obediently listening to his lecture was truly unprecedented.
Greg grew increasingly uneasy the more he looked at her. He spoke up cautiously, “Um... Allie, you didn’t happen to hit your head or something, did you?”
Allie looked up, an incredibly kind and amiable smile spreading across her face, her voice as gentle as if she were coaxing a child. “I’ll kill you, idiot young master~”
“...Well, looks like you’re fine then.” Greg confirmed it; this was the same old Allie. Her brain wasn’t broken.
Allie withdrew her kind smile and let out a soft sigh. She lowered her head and remained silent for a moment before speaking, her voice much lower than usual.
“...I just feel that I truly did something wrong this time.” Greg was stunned for a moment and didn't speak, waiting for her to continue.
Allie’s fingers tightened slightly, her knuckles turning white from the force. “I was too arrogant. Because my level was higher than those monsters, I thought there wouldn't be any danger.”
“In the end, I fell into a trap, almost got hurt, and even forced you... to exhaust yourself like that just to save me.” Allie’s voice carried a rare trace of self-reproach and guilt.
To her, Greg was the most important person in the world. If something had happened to him because of her carelessness, she would never have been able to forgive herself for the rest of her life.
Greg finally understood what Allie was thinking. After a moment of silence, he reached out and gently patted her head. “Alright, as long as you know you were wrong. Don't beat yourself up too much. I’m standing here perfectly fine, aren't I?”
“Besides, think about it—if you hadn't charged in first to clear the path and take out those monsters, I wouldn't have been able to get here so easily. So, technically, you've done a great service.”
Allie looked up at him, a bit surprised. Greg withdrew his hand and smiled. “Besides, I’m your master. Isn’t it only natural for me to protect my own maid? If something had actually happened to you, I’m the one who would have felt guilty for the rest of my life.”
He paused, then added another sentence. “So, don't go running off alone again next time. If you really want to charge ahead, at least wait for me.”
Allie watched him, remaining silent for a long time before she gave a small, gentle nod. “...Mm.” She quickly pulled herself together and walked back to the fire, poking at it with her stick.
“Rest a bit longer. The dish I’m making will be ready soon. You need to eat to have the strength to keep going.” Greg nodded instinctively, then suddenly froze. Wait—that wasn't right.
Allie’s cooking? He thought back carefully. Aside from boiling rice and making hard-boiled eggs, did Allie even know how to make anything else?
And this was the dungeon. Where did she get ingredients and cookware? He slowly looked up at what Allie was tinkering with.
It was a large pot salvaged from some ruins, propped over the campfire. The contents were bubbling and steaming. And the color of that steam... was purple.
Greg peeked into the pot. The thick soup was an eerie violet color, with unrecognizable chunks that looked like a cross between mushrooms and minerals floating on the surface. Bubbles occasionally rose and popped, releasing an indescribable odor.
“.......” Greg swallowed hard. Am I really going to die here after all?
Although he had the option to refuse directly, he had just finally managed to calm Allie down. If he refused now, wouldn't all that effort go to waste?
He had to find a more clever way. Greg began to think seriously about how to sabotage that pot of dark matter before Allie noticed.
But just as he was racking his brain for a plan, Nightmare’s voice suddenly rang out in his mind. “It seems you have fully recovered. I thought you would sleep a bit longer given your previous state.”
Greg was startled for a moment, then replied sincerely in his mind, “Thanks, Hajimi. If it weren't for your help earlier, I wouldn't have made it in time.”
Nightmare let out a soft huff. “There is no need for thanks. I told you, I will do my best to help you with anything related to the dungeon. Moreover, our fates are tied together.”
Then, her tone shifted. “However, I’ve only just realized what a greedy fellow you are. To think you wouldn't even spare your own maid.”
Greg: “?”
Rate on N.U.
