Hmm...

Oh? Where did that come from? Some kinda Giant Skeleton monster? Those guys must be kicking zombie-butt by now.

"Garami! There you are... what the heck's going on here!?" - Mira

"Trying to figure out how to scout an undead dragon-counterfeit." - Garami

"What the heck's that supposed to mean?" - Mira

I turned my attention back to the undead dragon, still trapped in the bag-like web hanging from the ceiling.

"Don't be so quick with the dissing." - Garami

"No, you'll diss someone when they're wrapped up like a bagworm." - Mira

"Even if the said person once tricked a whole kingdom?" - Garami

Mira looked at me as if I had talked about the origin of the universe. Then she came to realize what I meant.

"The one who stole the princess' place in the story?" - Mira

"Almost correct. It wasn't that she stole the princess's place. The princess forced her position on to this one." - Garami

I'll be cutting some corners here, but the story Mira told us on the first day here's mostly right. The mistaken parts are that the princess was the offender rather than the victim, and the one taking her position is also vice versa from the original story. The life free for royal duties didn't entertain the princess that well, especially when his majesty's policy was "those who don't work won't eat". It was still a great country even so, even if a little spartan.

Point is, the princess wasn't from Sparta, returned to the castle, was taken for an imposter, got sent to jail to rot, and managed to escape, take her "revenge" on her father, and must have turned the whole capital into a land of death with whatever was inside the treasury of the castle.

The story, except for the fact that this place's a Dungeon, all came from Gust, who had learned about this place at the Grand Library Tower, so the credibility of his version's greater than the hearsay of Mira.

"Alright, I get the story. Then, where's that princess now?" - Mira

...Did I feel an incredible amount of bloodlust right now? Even the dragon's shaking in her bag, and that one's soundproof thanks to [Silence].

"T-that was more than 700 years ago. No way a human would live for that long." - Garami

"Guess you're right...tch." - Mira

Wow... that princess sure knows how to push people's buttons.

"And what's the verdict? For that one," asked Mira

"...What do you think?" I asked, producing the status page of the dragon counterfeit for Mira to see.

"......[Envyyyyy]!?" - Mira

"Yup. [Envy]. One of the Seven Sin skills, even more importantly, the one which can allow you to take on the appearance and abilities of whoever you 'envy'. That must have been how this one could take the place of the princess." - Garami

Not that I wanna know what this one must have gone through to obtain it. Hmm... if I could reproduce that process... and it would probably only lead to having a "subordinate" that aims for my life 24/7. Yup, let's ignore that route choice.

"Okay, I can stomach it having [Envy]. And I would agree that it could be possible for that imposter to gain those titles if she survived in this place for 700 years. Even so, that Skill Point value is too strange! What happened for things to end up like this? Ain't this status page a fake?" - Mira

"I thought the same as you until I saw this," I said while showing the sole Blessing of the Draconic Cadaver.

"Those star-marked skills must be the ones not allowed to get proficiency. The Ability Skills must have obtained some from when they were Small-tiers." - Garami

"......I see. Still... so unreasonable..." - Mira

Oh, I know. I sure know that. And that's what I'm afraid of. Getting on that one's bad side's something I don't wanna do. But, the 700 years' worth of potential...whoa!?

*DUNK!!*

A large block of metal appeared right above my head. Correction, right above where I had my head, one millisecond ago. I know of only one thing out there crazy enough to deliver her mails in this fashion.

I forgot about that one back then. You can take care of her.

Love, Ria-chan♡

"Love", my ass!!

"Garami, that letter-" - Mira

"Forget it! There was no letter here, got it!" - Garami

"G-got it. Also, over there..." - Mira

What now!? I looked at where Mira was pointing and... there's a hole in the bag. The damn reptile eavesdropped on the whole conversation.

"......" - Garami

"...*Sweat*." - Dragon

"...Wanna be human again?" - Garami

My question made the stuffing of the bag rampage around in surprise.

"What are you talking about?" - Mira

"There's a special evolution option that Corpse Dragons can take. One that makes use of a dragon's intense lifeforce, and the fact that Corpse Dragon is not a high-ranking undead yet, to make that individual 'return to life'. For them to become a real, living creature again and not some undead." - Garami

The bagged rampage intensified in strength.

"W-w-where did you learn about that!?" - Mira

"From this," I said while showing off the Kigal-Note. Mira looked like she bought my excuse. Sorry, but telling that it was me who designed that race will complicate the conversation. Please be satisfied with this little lie.

Meanwhile, the bagged reptile's "eye" started to shine so much that I'm starting to fear the bag was gonna catch fire. 

"Listen up. One of the few individuals in this world that can release you from the curse cast on you and pardon you for your stupidity of working alongside that so-called 'princess' is me. Get it?" - Garami

"*Nod, nod, nod*." - Dragon

"And do you also get that you tried to steal my possession before, not to mention using my appearance to do the crime?" - Garami

"...*Nod*." - Dragon

"But, I'll be generous and look between my fingers this time. In exchange, I expect complete loyalty and hard work from you, okay?" - Garami

"*Nod, nod, nod*!!" - Dragon

"And as a final warning: in case you try such a disgraceful act of biting my hand, like that princess of yours did with her father, don't expect  the outcome to be as mild as the one you're currently in." - Garami

The bag broke from the constant nodding of the dragon inside so much that it broke from the inside like a reverse pinata. One with a dragon instead of candy. A dragon that lied down on its belly, whining and nodding all the while with tears in its eyes... how's the last one even possible?

"...Fine. You're hired." - Garami

"That easily!?" - Mira

I just can't kick such a pitiful underdog... sometimes. Especially one that starts bowing its head so roughly that it's making a hole in the ground. Seriously, stop that!

---

"And this is the reason you came to retrieve me?" - Garami

We're currently on the first floor of the theater, right in front of a suspicious large door, plastered with "No Access" stickers. And some of them show a cartoonish figure with an avian cap and a big mustache... there's no doubt...

"Yeah. We've tried everything, but it's unopenable. There are three more doors like this on this floor, each in the west, north, and east, all leading to the inner parts of the building." - Mira

Then with this southern one, a total of four. I looked at the maps of the different floors and saw that none of them led to the theater's "inner sanctum", except for the fourth floor, which is practically an attic.

"...Did you find the stage?" - Garami

"No. We think that they must be behind this door." said one of the combatants that had been busy trying to break through the door. The same conclusion as mine.

"And? The result?" - Garami

"As you can see. I even tried Airgetlám on it to no luck." - Mira

Damn, that's one solid door. What's it made of?

"Have you tried busting through the walls?" - Garami

"Same results. Or, the walls here are even durable than the doors for some reason."

Wow. Is this the same situation as in RPG? The reason why the hero can't bust through the walls with his ultimate sword to reach the demon king? If that's the case, then we need a key...

"Hey, Revi. Give it a try." - Garami

The fake Corpse Dragon, Revi, walked over to the door at my beckoning... and got disheartened when the combatants made plenty of room for her. Alright. Gotta remember those guys' faces for later.

Revi started to fickle with the doorknob a few secs, then...

*Clank*

Open, sesame.

"And you guys struggled with this because...?" - Garami

"W-w-wait a sec, that's not fair! I-i-it must have been weakened from our attempts!" - Mira

"Y-yes, yes!" 

These guys... I walked past Revi, making sure to give her a head pat as a reward, and entered the stage of the theater...

"WHAT THE F*CK'S THIS!?" - Garami

The combatants hurried into the room and saw the monstrous machine that lay on top of the stage. It had a huge, cylinder-like shape, stubby legs to walk with, and its "face" was one massive drill, as big as its body. It also has several arms at the "front", armed with shovels and other digging equipment.

"This is a strange one alright. What's it used for?" - Mira

"Maybe it dug out that tunnel?" 

"No, if that didn't do it, then nothing else could have!"

Oh? So, it's a drill that was used to escape hell instead of piercing the heavens? The gorillas back at Tree Sea Isle said that the cave back there had been there since the gorillas could remember. Did this thing hit a cave room while digging, thereby connecting the two islands without people... animals noticing?

"Whatever it is, or what it was used for, now it's just a pile of junk, ready to be scrapped! Men, at it!!" 

"YA-HAA!!"

...I sometimes forget. We're the bad guys. It's situations like this that hits me with the reality of the situation.

......*Click*.

Hmm?

*VrrrrrrRRRRRRR!!*

"Those idiots..." - Garami

"I-IT STARTED UP!!" 

The drill machine must have had some sensor-based alarms, cause the big thing self-activated when the hooligans, I mean, the combatants ran towards it with screwdrivers and hammers in hand...

"Where did they get those tools?" - Garami

"They must have stolen them from the Machinerz before... ah. Maybe they used this place as some hangar?." - Mira

"And the bots stationed here were repairmen? That would explain the weakness of the bots you told me about. And the reason for them using this place is... to force you into working for the 'country' again? " - Garami

I looked down and saw Revi nodding to my words. Poor girl. 

"Bosses! Don't just stand there and help us!" 

"HELP US!!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just last for a few more minutes so we can make a plan." - Mira

"OH, COME ON!!"

Hmm, that big thing's here because it needs reparations... then there's a weak point in this thing... geh!?

"VIT's at more than 1,500..." - Garami

"...even I can't break through that." - Mira

"I know. I'm still looking for a clue." - Garami

Damn that Black Baron. What did he use to make this thing? Even its RES is at 900. Zahhak's gonna be useless against it. Luckily, its speed isn't that faster than an average adult, so the combatants can run circles around it without being hit by the drills or the shovel-arms...

"That's it! Mira, attract that guy's attention. Make him turn to the left wall." - Garami

"Okay, but be quick with whatever you're planning." - Mira

With that, Mira started slinging out some Light spells at the drill-bot while throwing insults at it, effectively catching the bot's attention. I circled the other side. 

Yup. Like I thought. This Machinerz is kinda old-fashioned, with exhaust pipes and it all. Not designed with eco...*Cough, cough, cough*! What the-, this stinks! Just what kinda fuel does this guy use? On second thought, don't answer. Let's just do my job and fill these pipes.

The drill-bot was too occupied with Mira to notice me blocking its rear until the exhaust inside it had stored up too much. It's not looking fine...

"I-it's gonna explode!"

"Run for your life!!"

I'll be doing just that. Urgh, the emergency exits are too far... let's hide backstage.

*Ka-BOOOOM!!*

And there goes the drill to the surface. Hmm, VIT doesn't seem to help against internal attacks... oh? There's something further inside.

"Get the trash!"

"YA-HOO!!"

The combatants hadn't learned their lesson from the first time and started gathering the parts that had survived the explosion.

I for my part started to explore the backstage area. There are lots of props here, including some stuff made of real gold and silver. These will fetch us a price back at Velantas... oh? This thing here... a replica? Even so, it can be used once... It explains why they've named the theater like that.

---

"O-ho-ho-ho-ho! This is truly a fight worthy of a Dungeon Master!" - Black Baron

In one of the many guest rooms of the castle, the Black Baron enjoyed the bounties that could be created by the Dungeon. On the TV-like magitech's screen, a fight between two women was going on. One was a red-haired beauty with a lecherous body, and the other one was a slim woman with black hair, with the lower half of her body being a huge slime made of different undead bodies melted together.

His robotic sidekicks enjoyed the metals, screws, and oil instead.

"Hey, which one are we rooting for?" - Scarecrow

"The woman half-melted into the sludge made of fluid undead-corpses, Scarecrow." - Breaker

The strawman-like Machinerz Scarecrow and the wheel-based Breaker acted like a stand-up routine pair like always.

"Eh? I like the fire-woman better." - Scarecrow

"Hey, you have to show more appreciation to the Dungeon Master of this place. It's thank to her that we'll finally go back to black in the accounting books!" - Black Baron

The reason why the Black Baron had joined forces with Median Tirnanog, the former princess of Tir na Nog, is due to the last battle against Glavras. That battle had consumed too much of the Baron's resources, so he had to offer his services to those with power in the vicinity to repair his airships or be stranded on this continent.

"We even got these delicious bolts and oil, and even a personal bodyguard to substitute Assault while he is trying to sign the deal on that other island," said Breaker, while looking at the character standing still in the corner of the large room. A jet-black warrior, dressed in armor originating from Wakoku, armed with a single blade.

"I don't like foreign products~." - Scarecrow

"Don't be like that. And this one is one heck of an undead. So great that I bet it could make sashimi out of that damn albino demon!" - Black Baron

"Oh! Sashimi is good!" - Scarecrow

"You cannot eat fish!" - Breaker

"Fish or dish, who cares!" - Scarecrow

"Right you are for once, Scarecrow! Ah, how I wanted that damn demon here to taste the steel of that Orimaru!" - Black Baron

"She would turn to fish food!" - Scarecrow

"A-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" - All three

*Squeaaaak*

While the three were laughing at their joke, the door to the veranda opened up on its own. And from there...

"It worked." - Garami

"No way!...Hmm?" - Mira

The opened door did not lead to the veranda anymore, but a corridor of the Silver Key Theater. And in the keyhole was a silver, glowing key, which turned to dust after the door had opened, as if having fulfilled its duty.

"......" - Breaker

"......" - Mira

"......" - Scarecrow

"......" - Garami

"......Yo..." - Black Baron

"CAPTURE THEM!!" - Garami

"RUN FOR IT!!" - Black Baron