“Could it be that my inadequacy forced my lord to study necromancy? So that’s what it was... I’m sorry. I’ve proven myself useless in this dungeon.”

Charlotte was capable.
Even setting aside my personal judgment, she was objectively a skilled subordinate. Being the second-ranking sentinel of the dungeon wasn’t a position just anyone could handle.

Though, back then, she did irritate me a bit.

Aside from the time she used corpses without permission, Charlotte had consistently performed above and beyond expectations.
It was frustrating to see her erode her own self-esteem like this.

Thunk.

“Ow.”

I tapped her head with the corner of the book.
Charlotte looked up at me, rubbing the spot where I had lightly touched her.
It wasn’t much more than a light tap, but the corner of the book must’ve stung.

“It’s yours.”
“...Pardon?”
“The Necronomicon. I retrieved it for you, Charlotte.”
“...Pardon?”

It was like time had rewound. Same expression, same reaction, twice in a row.

I grabbed her wrist and placed the magic tome in her hands myself.
Charlotte stared at me with wide, dilated pupils, the pentagram magic circle in her eyes now clearly visible.

With my hands free, I gave her shoulder a couple of pats.

“Don’t even think about refusing. Like I said, I went through a lot to get it for you.”
“This... how... I mean, why would you...?”

Her words came out haltingly, like a malfunctioning machine, until she finally managed to form a coherent sentence.

“How could you bestow such a blessing upon me?”
“Because it’s for you. A gift for a hardworking lieutenant is well deserved.”

You need to get stronger. It strengthens the dungeon’s forces, which in turn keeps me alive.
The threat isn’t just from adventurers—there are the other dungeon bosses among the 72 Dungeons, not to mention Balutak himself, who might challenge my authority someday.
Charlotte was my first line of defense against all these potential upheavals.

“Focus on your studies for a while.”

I had already evolved her into a Demonkin and given her an S+-grade black magic tome. What more could she ask for?
All I needed was for her to hit level 90. That wasn’t asking too much, was it?

“B-but still, how could I possibly...?”

The usually mechanical Charlotte seemed completely out of order now.
She fidgeted nervously, her fingers brushing over the book before she suddenly used it to cover her face.
The book wasn’t even that large, but her face was so small it managed to conceal her entire expression.

It was obvious she didn’t want me to see her reaction, but her emotions were already on full display—her level betrayed everything.

Wow, she’s seriously glowing.

The aura surrounding her had turned an intense shade of hot pink, reminiscent of the time Rozesha proposed to me. It couldn’t possibly get any brighter.

Unintentionally, I’d just broken the record for Charlotte’s affection level.
To me, this was just handing out a task to a subordinate. To her, it might have felt like... something more.

Why is this world full of boneheads?

In my previous life, I didn’t have a single romantic prospect. Now, as a Death Knight, I seemed to attract them left and right.
The problem was that my admirers included a homicidal witch and a succubus queen whose default setting was fatal seduction.

Maybe it was a blessing in disguise that I was an undead eunuch.

***

<Lv: 73>
Race: Death Knight
Passive Traits: [Advanced Swordsmanship], [Natural Healing]
Active Traits: [Enhancement Art], [Evolution Art]
Bound Item: Solari’s Awakened Sunblade (+1 Enh)

My level had surged to 73 in one leap. Without the Sunblade, I’d drop to 59—that was my base level.
Wilhelm’s death had granted me 15 levels’ worth of experience.

Kind of underwhelming.

I’d hoped that slaying a hero would net me at least 20 levels, but I’d overestimated.
Still, there was no need for disappointment. The Sunblade itself was the true prize, and my level increase was more due to the sword than the experience points.

Without the sword, 59. With the sword, 73.
The gap was staggering—it truly deserved to be called a holy sword.

At first, I’d questioned why even Kalandas’s EX-grade Peerless Greatsword hadn’t pushed me beyond 73.
Then again, what good is a fancy weapon if I couldn’t wield it effectively? In hindsight, 73 was generous.

The awakened Sunblade had two abilities: destructive attacks and healing power.
If I’d tried to fight Charlotte with it before her evolution, I wouldn’t have stood a chance.
She could bombard me with long-range magic while I, slow and defenseless, would be unable to close the gap—game over.

Even against Balutak, who was the same level, I wouldn’t last. His speed alone would leave me dead before I could react.
With base stats in the 50s, I had no way to counter high-level attacks.

I glanced at Isabella, who was clapping hands with Balutak.
Noticing my gaze, she turned her head toward me, blinking.

“Uh... Did I do something wrong?”
“No.”
“Oh, um... okay then.”

She returned to playing, her grin as bright as ever.
At least I could beat her in a fight. The title of weakest in the dungeon was now officially hers.

Still... the Sunblade.

I still couldn’t believe I’d ended up with the awakened holy sword.
But there wasn’t time to bask in the moment.

What did it mean that I’d killed Wilhelm and taken the sword?
The Empire’s Subjugation Command and the Church would undoubtedly come after me with everything they had.
Even if I managed to keep the sword, its weight wasn’t just in power—it carried Wilhelm’s mission, a divine mandate from the gods themselves.

To stop Kalandas.

He was the one who would someday drag humanity into the abyss.
If he destroyed the Empire, my own life would be next.
After all, once Kalandas turned all of humanity into undead, what would his next target be?
The Seven Palaces of Mugan.

Even the developers had confirmed it.

Q: If the player fails to stop Kalandas’s invasion, how does the story progress?
A: Once Kalandas has turned all of humanity into undead and grown stronger, he’ll destroy the Empire. Then, having gained power and momentum, he’ll attempt to conquer the world, starting with the Seven Palaces of Mugan.

Even if his world domination attempt wasn’t guaranteed to succeed, the mere attempt would put my life in danger.
Given our history of animosity, and now my alliance with Rozesha, Kalandas had probably already marked me as an enemy.

Ah, Wilhelm. He truly was a good hero.
But now that he was gone, the Sunblade’s mission had fallen to me.

First, I’d need to see how Kalandas reacted at the next gathering.
I also needed to identify which bosses sided with him.
As the saying goes, know your enemy, know yourself, and you will win every battle.

I also need to solidify alliances.

Ensuring a strong alliance with Rozesha was crucial, but I should also recruit up-and-coming lower-ranked bosses.

In the canonical timeline, Kalandas wouldn’t start moving for another year.
But with Wilhelm gone, he might accelerate his plans—or, if he truly feared the Sunblade, he might delay them.

The awakened Sunblade wasn’t just any weapon; it was now wielded by the boss of the Mugan Palace.
From Kalandas’s perspective, the latter might be even more intimidating than Wilhelm.

Speculating won’t get me anywhere.

I’d need to assess the situation at the gathering and adapt as needed.

For now, my focus should be on monitoring the Subjugation Command’s movements.

Two uneventful days passed, despite the tension hanging in the air.

“Boss.”

Charlotte called out to me during a moment of relative peace.
I’d spent enough time with her to sense her emotions, even through her usual stoic expression. Today, she seemed unusually excited.

“I have news. You two, gather here. Quickly.”

Holding a newspaper, Charlotte summoned the others.
I abandoned my idle observation of the Sunblade and sat down in front of her.
Balutak and Isabella, who’d been lazing around, hurried over as well.

Charlotte cleared her throat, then pointed at the headline with a dramatic flair.

“The Empire has officially named our dungeon.”
“Oh!”
“Kirik?”

The Empire’s Subjugation Command named newly designated dungeons, excluding those with established names.
I’d read about this as an Easter egg—the bosses of the 72 Dungeons often viewed these names as badges of honor.
The Command’s naming sense was renowned for its gravitas, which other bosses admired.

Balutak and Isabella leaned in like curious meerkats, their heads blocking my view of the paper.
It took all my self-control not to smack them.

There’s no turning back now.

I reflected on the absurdity of how I, a mere Death Knight, had ended up as the boss of the Mugan Palace.
There was no point lamenting—I’d already crossed the river.

“Wow! The name sounds so cool!”

Isabella squealed, while Balutak folded his arms and nodded in agreement.

“Kirik. It has a nice ring to it. I like it.”
“Balutak, can you even read?”
“I cannot.”
“Then how do you know it has a nice ring to it?”
“Kirik. Balutak is smart. I can tell which letters look good or bad.”
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
“Isabella... your name probably looks like crap.”
“Excuse me?”

With the two blocking my view, I couldn’t see the paper.
As the boss, I had to maintain my dignity, but truthfully, I was dying to see the name. It was my dungeon, after all.

Charlotte, sensing my frustration, nudged Isabella aside.
Truly, she was the only one who understood me.

I leaned in to read the headline.
The three of them fell silent, their gazes fixed on me, waiting for my reaction.

“It’s a good name,” I said finally.

Their responses came immediately, as if rehearsed.

“Right? Isn’t it great?”
“I’m glad it meets your approval, boss.”
“Kirik. It has a strong resonance. What does it say?”

The name seemed fitting, considering the two heroes who’d died here had been devout followers of strict doctrines and creeds.

【Mugan Palace, Rank 7: Shrine of Faith】