Dungeon Defense (WN)
Chapter 443: DAISY (7)

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It had been about ten days since Father took to his sickbed.

“Aaagh! Gahaaaagh!”

“Be quiet. You’re getting blood on my clothes.”

I had rented a mansion in Amstel, where I was torturing prisoners. While Father stayed in the mansion, spies from various nations gathered to surveil it. Among them, the agents from the Habsburg Republic were especially vile. They constantly tiptoed the line, desperate to extract information.

This one, no doubt, had been sent by that woman, Consul Elizabeth.

She was a woman Father paid unusually close attention to. According to rumors, she was quite the beauty.

Even her name was a bit irritating. That wasn’t prejudice—it was simply a fact. For some reason, I had disliked the name Elizabeth ever since I was very young.

“Gahaaaagh!”

It seems I must’ve misjudged my strength. The prisoner lost consciousness while being tortured. I had pressed the skewer too hard and ripped too much flesh without realizing it.

“My apologies.”

I gave a polite bow.

“I only meant to peel off a bit of flesh, but I accidentally grazed the area near the heart. I’ll make sure to carry out the torture in proper order next time.”

“……Pff…… hhpp…….”

The prisoner foamed at the mouth without a word. This was why getting lost in thought during torture was dangerous. I had applied all the stimuli at once when it was meant to be delivered slowly and methodically. If it had been an ordinary prisoner, they would have died instantly. Thankfully, this one was a knight with a strong constitution.

“But why does the Consul of Habsburg keep sending assassins at every opportunity? Tell me, Sir Knight. Does she really think someone like you could kill Father? It’s a mystery. Even throwing eggs at a rock has its limits.”

“…….”

“Or perhaps she believes she has the right to kill Father.”

Fwip—my hand slipped just a little. At that moment, the unconscious man jolted awake and screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice tearing through the air.

“Hgh, ha, khaaaaargh!”

“Oops.”

Another mistake.

The man had sustained an irreparable wound. There was no helping it. Even a knight would struggle to recover from this level of damage. As an apology for my careless mistake, I decided to end the torture here. In other words, I drew a dagger and drove it into the prisoner’s neck.

I bowed my head again.

“I’m sorry. I never intended to let you live from the beginning.”

“Grk, khrfrrk…… urgh…….”

The knight coughed up blood a few times, then began trembling violently. I dipped my hands into a bucket of water and washed off the blood. Even as I cleaned up, the man’s convulsions wouldn’t stop. Surprisingly sturdy, I thought, and twisted the dagger in his neck sideways. Only then did the man die completely.

Just as I stood up after putting away the tools, someone knocked on the door. Instinctively, I gripped my dagger with my right hand and stared at the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, Head Maid. Ivar.”

A familiar voice. I tucked my dagger back into my clothes. Ivar Lodbrok was my direct subordinate. Though a bit clumsy with her work, she was full of enthusiasm no matter the task. Still, the fact that she occasionally shared a bed with Father was utterly disgraceful.

Back when Ivar had just started working as a maid, I used to tease her mischievously. I still remember the look on her face when I told her, “I’m a lesbian.” It was truly something. Even now, just thinking about that expression gives me the confidence to go about my day eating nothing but hard and stale bread.

“You may come in.”

“Yes, pardon the intrusion.”

Ivar’s expression froze in shock as soon as she entered the room. The knight’s intestines were sprawled in twisted heaps across the floor. The stench of entrails seemed to make her shrink back. She really should have grown used to this by now—what a hopelessly naive girl.

“Head Maid…… um, there’s blood on your clothes…….”

“I’m fine. I can always change. More importantly, why are you here? I believe I made it clear not to come to the torture room without my permission.”

“His Highness’ condition has worsened.”

My heart sank.

Fortunately, I was capable of maintaining a composed expression under any circumstance. Aside from a slight tightening of my brows, my face remained unchanged. However, I couldn’t stop a trace of urgency from slipping into my voice.

“How exactly has it worsened……?”

“I-I’m not entirely sure myself. I’m sorry. Someone else has already gone to urgently fetch a mage and a priest. I came here hoping you might also be able to help, Head Maid.”

“Well done.”

I didn’t know who had made that decision, but it was the right one. While I knew nothing of medicine, I was thoroughly versed in all kinds of anesthetics and hallucinogens. If Father had to undergo some kind of operation, I could ensure the environment was perfectly suited for a painless procedure.

As I stepped out the door, I spoke:

“This isn’t the time to dawdle. I’ll change clothes first and head to the manor at once. Miss Ivar, just in case—could you fetch my medicine bag from my room? Inside, there’s an anesthetic…….”

—It was at that moment.

Something struck my head hard.

My vision spun as my knees buckled. A throbbing pain surged through the back of my skull, and my sight rapidly turned white. The moment I grit my teeth and reached for the dagger hidden in my thigh, something slammed down on the crown of my head again.

“Ah……?”

Instinctively, I tried to brace myself with my hands. But my hand slipped, and my body collapsed. My face hit the floor, and the world faded into a blur. Even the sound of my own breathing felt so distant.

In that final moment, the only thought that rose in my mind was that I had to inform Father of this.

Ivar Lodbrok is a traitor.

I had no idea who had given the order, but she was a heart parasite hidden away in Father’s palace. I had been foolish. I should have been far more cautious of Ivar. I had believed in her unconditionally because Father trusted her.

If Ivar was a spy cunning enough to deceive Father—

Then I had been the only one left who could suspect her.

“……Fa……ther…….”

My vision went completely dark.

When I next opened my eyes, I was in the dungeon beneath the Demon Lord Castle. My arms and legs were shackled to the wall. I tested the manacles, but they didn’t budge. Standing right in front of me was Military Affairs Minister Laura de Farnese.

“So, you’re finally awake.”

Her voice was cold. I could immediately tell at a glance that she was seething with anger and loathing. A menacing aura was emanating from Laura de Farnese’s body.

“Despicable traitor.”

“Minister……?”

My lips were so dry my tongue barely moved, and my voice came out as a weak rasp. Something hard and crusted—dried blood, by the smell—was caked on the back of my head.

Could this mean not only Ivar but even the Military Affairs Minister had turned traitor?

No, that made no sense. Laura de Farnese was Father’s personal war‑doll—nothing more, nothing less—and her loyalty to him was supposed to be unshakable. Why would she……?

I voiced my confusion.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I am about to interrogate you. Just as you interrogated your prisoners every single day. You should find the procedure quite familiar.”

“Interrogate……?”

The word left me in a daze. Interrogate who? Me? For what possible reason am I being restrained and questioned?

Laura de Farnese, the Military Affairs Minister, smiled coldly—a look she never showed in Father’s presence. Her attitude changed completely depending on who she was dealing with. That was a common trait among unpleasant women.

“By chance, His Lordship was nearly assassinated at the governor’s residence in Batavia. Up to that point, everything went according to his plan. And yet, why did he regain consciousness so long after? According to the original script, he should have come to his senses within five days.”

“…….”

My mouth felt parched.

How many days had I been unconscious? How many days had Father’s residence been left defenseless?

I shouldn’t be here.

Someone might break in if I’m not standing guard. It was dangerous. Although traps were set up thoroughly to keep out low-level knights, someone as skilled as a Demon Lord could still break through. How many days had passed? My heart felt like it was being lit ablaze by a candle.

“Demon Lord Paimon has long been hostile to His Lordship. The incident occurred in Amstel, Batavia, where she rules from behind the scenes. It was there that His Lordship remained unconscious far longer than planned.”

“What are you talking about……. Release me at once, Minister……. The estate is not being protected…….”

“However, all of this makes sense if it turns out that you had conspired with Paimon.”

This stupid blonde girl.

To think she conspired with Ivar just to solve such a trivial mystery. Come to think of it, Ivar is blonde too. From this moment on, I swore to hate every blonde woman in the world. The reason their hair shines so brightly is due to their brains leaking out of their heads, and that liquid glitters like a rainbow.

“Stop spouting nonsense and release me already.”

I clenched my teeth hard. My gums ached down to the roots.

“Do you have no idea how dangerous it is to keep me locked up? A skull filled with nothing but semen can’t possibly understand that. Father is currently exposed to spies from every nation.”

“The security of the residence is perfect. I personally set all the defenses.”

“Hah.”

I scoffed.

The security is perfect because you handled it? It seems the Military Affairs Minister hasn’t yet realized she is the weakest, most fragile cornerstone among Father’s retainers. I hope she comes to understand soon that, beyond the battlefield or the inner chambers, she’s as worthless as the dirt beneath her nails. All she does is meddle without knowing her place.

If she’s going to act like this, I have a few words to say, too. Don’t think the only thing I learned from Father was acting. I’m naturally gifted at mocking people—second only to Father himself.

“That sounds reassuring. Surely Father’s sex slave handled things well. But, Minister, before you tighten the security of the residence, how about you first get a grip on your own lower hole? With just the amount of semen you left dripping in the hallways of the Demon Lord Castle, you could easily sell two lakes’ worth—.”

Slap. The Military Affairs Minister slapped my cheek.

Sorry, but that doesn’t hurt at all. What was that just now? Could it have been a mosquito brushing past my face by chance? Tilting my head, I glanced sideways at the Military Affairs Minister. This angle was the most suitable for provoking her.

“I apologize. You must already be saddened by how limp and loose your orifices are. It seems I spoke frankly without considering your feelings. But I cannot help but be curious. I understand that whenever Father beds you, it must feel like he’s thrusting into thin air.”

“Go ahead and keep talking.”

“In that case, you must be satisfying Father with just your mouth, but how exceptional must your skills be for Father to still seek you out? It’s truly admirable. They say ‘if the teeth are gone, use the gums,’ and it seems you have substituted your loose orifices with your gums. If given the chance, I’d even like to learn a thing or two from you.”

The Military Affairs Minister gripped a whip. She seemed to intend to threaten me. Unfortunately, it was clear she’d never handled a whip before. She held it too close to the base. At this rate, she probably wouldn’t be able to swing it properly at all.

“What this lady demands is the unvarnished truth.”

“Oh? And what truth is that?”

“Did you conspire with the Demon Lord Paimon to poison His Lordship’s medicine?”

I offered a serene smile.

“I have just one last question.”

“Speak.”

“Are your gums still healthy?”

Immediately afterward, the whip tore mercilessly into my flesh.

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. I swear I’m gonna burn out at this rate cause of work. I had to go back to previous chapters to get quotes and I’ve noticed that recent chapters don’t have the Ο properly hidden… I’ve always put that symbol as line breaks because WordPress is really shitty when it comes to adding more than 1 line break as it always auto-deletes them. I usually never forget to change the font color to make them invisible on my site, but I’ve noticed that recent chapters have them visible. I’m not sure if I missed them or if WordPress is just being an asshole again and reverting things I do. I sure hope it doesn’t do it again :)))))

In any case, work has still been ass. I’ve worked every weekend since the start of June and have done a couple overtime… I am dead.