“What?” I blinked. “We fought the final boss. Shouldn’t this dungeon be over?”
Elaya let out a throaty laugh. “Sorry, not quite. There is a bit more.”
“But… her brother… I destroyed the dark stain on her heart.”
“I won’t say that her brother’s unresolved feelings didn’t contribute to this dungeon forming.” Elaya sighed. “Shortly after I felt your death, I traveled to the Ost Republic to confirm with my own eyes. I had my suspicions about what happened to you, and I believed you’d return. That was when I found Faeyna’s soul. Fearing she’d be resurrected by the enemies and used against you; I took her back here and attempted to resurrect her myself.
“Ultimately, it was her own dark emotions, mixed with her brother’s soul, and my failure that caused the dungeon to form. Since it formed right in the boss room, it took over your dungeon in a flash, catching Xin and me by surprise and stealing what we had. We were infected by the dungeon’s karma and trapped within its karmic cycle. I was able to escape its hold, and then I did what I could from within the dungeon. The residents would have been turned into monsters and cast in the lore if I didn’t corrupt the mana spring and use it to infect them with anger. You see, strong emotions overwhelm the dungeon’s control.”
I recalled that despite everything, the dungeon entrance wasn’t being watched at all by the infected residents. I now knew this was because Elaya had gone out of her way to keep them from entering it and becoming its slave.
“Faeyna… really is the Maid Hero?” It was probably a dumb question at this point, but dungeons could be difficult to interpret.
“I had my suspicions about Faeyna’s true nature before. She had done some powerful feats that went beyond a simple maid. It was only after the dungeon formed that I confirmed the truth. Although her brother had suppressed her legacy to an extent, her heart demons contributed as well. Defeating him may have satiated his spirit, but that’s not going to complete this lore. There is still the last bit, what truly weighs on her heart.”
“What’s next?” I asked with a resigned sigh.
“Look over there…” She pointed somewhere off in the distance.
I squinted to see what appeared to be a caravan approaching. It still had some time before it reached. I realized it looked familiar. It was a slave caravan.
“Figuro?”
“Mmm… not too long from now, he will arrive. He’ll convince her and her master to sell her so that her master can continue to live comfortably, and she won’t cause them any more trouble from the Elf Hero. Well, you know what happens after…”
“What?” I asked before I realized that this must have been how she ended up in the capital for sale, where I bought her.
“That’s for Master to determine on his own.” Elaya answered anyway, gesturing toward the entrance to the mansion, which suddenly opened up
Looking at the door, I couldn’t see the inside. I knew that once I walked through, I wouldn’t be in the mansion anymore. One last scene? I turned to Elaya.
“You’re not going to merge with Faeyna.” It wasn’t a question.
“It was cute watching Master worry!” She stuck out her tongue. “No, I’m not the original Elaya, and even if I was, our souls have no connection to each other, other than the legacy we took on. Master gave me a new life when he resurrected me, so I am my own person now, unrestrained by the lore of another. I’m sorry I misled you.”
“Will you come with me then?” I asked.
“I can’t go to this next part. I’m not involved. For all intent, you shouldn’t be able to either.”
“What does that mean?”
“These invisible walls you keep facing? These are the walls of her heart. I was cast into a certain role, and thus I’m able to appear in certain parts of the story. On the other hand, you don’t have a place in this story.”
“I don’t have a place… right…” I bit my lip bitterly.
My interactions so far had been random. More often than not, the story kept me on the outside. I originally thought that was because Elaya had wanted me to watch the story instead of being involved, but that didn’t seem to be the case. In the Twilight Dungeon, I was able to move about freely. This dungeon was restraining me on purpose. I was an invader, moving through a territory that didn’t want me there. In some dungeons, they threw monsters at you to impede you. This dungeon merely tried to make me a spectator, passing through without being seen or heard.
As I walked by Elaya, a thought came to me and I grabbed her arm.
“Enslavement!”
“Ahhh!” Elaya let out a cry.
“You may not be able to join me, but I’m not going to lose track of you again.” I snorted as the bond took hold of her.
“M-master… doing that all of a sudden!” Elaya previous look became cutely shy.
“Hmph… you could have resisted easily if you had any doubt.”
“E-even so,” She rubbed her legs together, blushing and breathing hard. “When you bond a girl without warning when her maiden heart isn’t ready… it makes her worked up!”
She licked her lips, the lewd Elaya I remembered starting to surface.
“I’ll take responsibility when I return.”
“You better… feeling Master’s bond again… it’s making me excited!” She declared, and then made a pouty face. “You left me for two months! On top of that, I had to act like a wise and mature old biddy, rather than a beauty in the sexual prime of her youth-”
“Isn’t your kid older than me?”
“-Youthful beauty that I am!” She declared shamelessly, giving a stubborn look.
“Ahem, as you say.” I coughed awkwardly. “In that case, I’ll get this over with.”
I bid her farewell and then stepped through the door. It was time to see the end.
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