“You can see everything here clearly, right?” Viktor whispered as he leaned back in his chair.

  [Yes, Master. I can see everything you see. Is this pce always this crowded?]

  “Well, yes, this is where the adventurers come to eat, drink, and socialize,” Viktor replied. He brought his mug of apple juice to his mouth and took a sip, while his gaze swept across the mess hall to give Celeste a full view of the room. “Of course, usually it’s only packed during lunch and dinner, but today is different. Everyone is loitering around, waiting to catch a glimpse of the new Guildmaster once she gets here.”

  He had recently discovered something new about his Dungeon Core’s abilities. As she leveled up, the link between them grew stronger, and with it, the distance they could communicate across also greatly increased. That was why they were able to talk like this, even when he was in town.

  Before, while he could see what was going on in the dungeon even when he was at home, there was no real way to contact Celeste directly unless he was physically near the dungeon. If he wanted to get inside, he had to be close enough to call her, and then she would teleport him in.

  And even teleportation itself used to be a tricky issue. While entering was not a problem, leaving was a different story. When Celeste teleported him out, she would send him back to the exact same spot where he had been. But she couldn’t see the outside world, so there was always a risk that someone, or something, might be there by the time he arrived. So he had to choose his spot carefully before making the call.

  But now? He could just ask her to teleport him directly from his own room. There were no longer any concerns about unwanted surprises when he returned, especially if he chose to come back when Cire was still working at the Guild.

  As for the other aspect of their connection—the bit where Celeste could see through his eyes—it had always been there, but it had been of little use when the range was so short. Now, however, he could rey information to her much more quickly and easily. Very convenient, indeed.

  “It’s a shame Dagnar and Brynhildr aren’t here today. I could’ve shown you what they look like.”

  Over the past few days, he had tried to gather more information about his targets, but all he could find were their names and a few passing details. The sickly-looking man—the Key Holder—was Dagnar, while Brynhildr was his companion, who also happened to be his aunt.

  [Yes, if I know their appearance, I will be ready to act the instant they set foot in the dungeon. Master, do you want me to attack them with everything I have got?]

  Viktor shook his head. “No, making a move on them before we get the full picture is unwise. In fact, I want you to go easy on them, so they’re more likely to return to the dungeon again and again.”

  [Understood.]

  Everything about those two adventurers was shrouded in mystery. First of all, if Dagnar indeed held a fragment of his power and was descended from the Six Heroes, then it was very likely he belonged to one of the royal families that ruled the world’s mightiest kingdoms. So why was he here, with only one guard? Yes, a guard. Viktor didn’t believe the story about Brynhildr being Dagnar’s aunt for even a second. It felt like just an excuse to expin why they were traveling together. Nevertheless, why? If the man were truly royalty, he shouldn’t be wandering around like just another lowly adventurer.

  Viktor’s original pn was to make Celeste grow as quickly as possible. Only once he had established a powerful enough stronghold would he turn his attention to the six targets. Because he knew luring them here would not be easy. After all, they were either reigning monarchs or heirs to such thrones. He never could have imagined one would show up so soon, just two months after his dungeon emerged. Now, he was at a loss for what to do. Of course, attempting to kill Dagnar right away was an option, but the strangeness of the situation made him cautious.

  They both had Brefjordian names, and while the man didn’t exactly look the part, the woman was unmistakably Northern to the bone. They arrived in Daelin shortly after his dungeon was attacked by a powerful warrior from the North, who was apparently working under the orders of a queen. Was this all really just a coincidence?

  Well, maybe. The Northmen were fierce warriors, while their nd was poor, so it was not unusual for them to roam the world, selling their services to anyone willing to pay.

  [I wonder which kingdom they come from.]

  “Brefjord seems obvious, so it’s probably not that,” Viktor replied. “I believe that their identities are fabricated, and their names are fake. Those two were not actually reted. Brynhildr is just a mercenary hired to be Dagnar’s bodyguard.”

  [There are so many things we still don’t know.]

  “Agreed.” Viktor nodded as he took another sip from his mug. “I need to get closer to them and gather as much information as I can.”

  There was someone who had just entered the mess hall, someone he knew all too well. She scanned the room, her eyes sweeping over the groups of adventurers, before finally nding on him. She immediately made her way toward his table, her two long, thick pigtails bouncing with every step.

  “There is no—”

  “I already ate,” she said before he could finish his sentence. Then, she gave him a smug grin, while her eyes gleamed with triumph, as if she had just won some sort of competition.

  In response, he quickly raised his mug to his mouth and took a very loud gulp, finishing all that was left in one go.

  “Why did you act like I was about to steal your drink?” Alycia said, furrowing her brow.

  He shrugged. “It’s better to be safe than to be sorry.”

  “You’re ridiculous,” she said as she dropped into the chair beside him. “Anyway, Jeanne has just been evicted.”

  “What?” Viktor frowned at the news that came out of absolute nowhere. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean exactly that,” Alycia replied. “She couldn’t pay the rent this month, so her ndlord kicked her out.”

  He recalled that Jeanne had been paid handsomely for helping Alycia’s party get through the maze on the second floor of his dungeon, but that was quite a while ago. If she couldn’t find new work, then even that money would eventually dry up.

  “And you know that because?”

  “Oh, I just happened to be passing by when it went down,” Alycia said nonchantly. “By the way, she asked me not to tell anyone, so keep it to yourself, alright? Especially from Rhea.”

  Viktor stared at the woman. “She wanted you to keep it a secret, and the very first thing you do is tell me?”

  “Well, I thought that you might be able to help.”

  “Now it’s you who’s being ridiculous,” Viktor scoffed. “First of all, an adult got evicted because they couldn’t pay rent, and you think a twelve-year-old has the solution? And second, why should I? Do I look like some do-gooder who runs around fixing other people’s problems for free?”

  “I just hope you can talk some sense into her,” Alycia replied. “If it’s just money, I can help her. But she refuses to owe anyone even a tiny bit of favor.”

  Oh, good luck with that. He knew Jeanne’s stubbornness all too well. That woman never accepted anything for free. She always did her best to avoid getting into debt, and if she ever found herself in one, she would bend over backward to pay it off as fast as humanly possible. In fact, quite a bit of the coin she got from Manfred went straight to him, for the food she never really needed to pay for in the first pce.

  Wait.

  Does that mean I’m partly responsible for her eviction?

  Of course not. He had told Jeanne not to concern herself, but she insisted on paying. That was her choice. So if there were any consequences, it was her problem, not his.

  The sound of boots—a lot of them—thudded against the wooden floor outside. Around Viktor, the adventurers were already on their feet, one after another, murmuring excitedly among themselves as they prepared to leave their tables. The new Guildmaster must have arrived. So he got up from his chair as well.

  “You’re here to see the new Guildmaster too, right?” he asked, giving Alycia a quick gnce. Not that he waited for an answer. She could follow or not, but he was already heading for the door.

  [Master, what do we know about this Guildmaster?]

  Not much, Viktor replied telepathically as he tried to push through the crowd blocking his path. All Cire mentioned was that she was a Guildmaster somewhere else before getting assigned here. Calyssa might know more, but she’s been too busy tely for anyone to get a hold of her.

  After he managed to squeeze his way out of the mess hall, he spotted Cedric’s party standing near the entrance of the Guild building, so he hurried over to them.

  “You’ve come to see the new Guildmaster as well?”

  “Well... yes,” Cedric replied with an awkward smile.

  What’s up with him? Viktor wondered. The bck-haired boy was clearly acting strange today. He looked... restless. Meanwhile, Lucian and Fiora kept exchanging amused gnces between themselves, struggling to hold back ughter. Did I miss something? Noi’ri was the only one in the group who remained unchanged, but then again, he was a gnoll. It was hard to tell what he was thinking just from his face.

  Together, they moved outside, weaving through the crowd that was getting bigger and bigger. Once they stepped into the open, Viktor saw the Guild employees, Cire and Rhea included, lining up before the building. A little ahead of the others stood Calyssa, the bespectacled Chief Secretary, staring down the road with a serious expression.

  The sound of hooves grew louder as the arriving party approached. The cloud of dust settled, revealing a coach pulled by two heavy draft horses. On either side of the coach were two mounted guards, both wearing strange hound-shaped helmets. As they got closer, however, Viktor realized that those things weren’t helmets at all, but the actual faces of the guards. Murmurs rippled through the crowd, everyone’s attention now squarely on the two monstrous guards instead of the carriage they were escorting.

  After all, they were gnolls.

  Viktor was momentarily speechless. Yes, he knew a gnoll who was also an adventurer, but seeing gnolls riding horses was indeed a surreal experience.

  The carriage rolled to a halt in front of the building, and the coachman jumped down to open the door. The two hyena-faced guards dismounted as well, standing watch beside the coach. Then, the door swung open, and a tall, slender woman emerged from within.

  She was in her forties, probably around the same age as Brynhildr, but where the warrior woman was all rough hands and blunt steel, this one was polished edges and expensive silk. Every sh, every brow, every tiny bit of her appearance had been carefully curated to make the best show out of it. Her long hair flowed down her back in dark, glossy waves—not a single strand of grey, let alone white, could be seen, despite her age. She stepped forward, her regal face raised high, while her sharp eyes swept over the crowd with the gaze of a queen surveying her subjects.

  Viktor stared at the woman’s face, and he found some of her features... familiar. Those cheekbones, that jawline. He couldn’t help but turn to the bck-haired boy beside him, who had been acting weird the whole time.

  Let’s see what we have here. A woman who used to be a Guildmaster somewhere else. The gnolls she employed as guards. The likeness of her appearance to Cedric’s. And the boy’s reaction. The answer to all of these was obvious.

  “Is she...?”

  And Cedric nodded with a sigh. “Yes.”

  So this is Mommy, huh?