Roja, Team Leader of the Dissection Crew, Subordinate Team, Unit 5, [Radiant Fang] Guild
The only reason she' s still alive is because we had a healer keep her on the brink of death, so she could feel like she' s dying over and over again.
Even though she can' t speak anymore—her tongue' s been cut out—I know she' s begging us to kill her and end this torment once and for all.
This should be enough. She looks like she' s on the verge of losing her mind completely.
Time to finish the job and destroy the evidence.
I pull a short dagger from the box that Lady Majoka gave me. She specifically instructed me to use this blade to stab her heart and end it.
The dagger looks familiar, but that' s none of my concern. I took the job, so I' ll see it through.
I raise the blade and plunge it into her heart, twisting and grinding it until it' s a mess. Blood gushes out in streams, letting her writhe in agony one last time.
"Think of this dagger as your payment. When you die, make sure to remember Lady Majoka' s name. Maybe in your next life, you' ll know better than to anger her again."
I finish it off by hammering the dagger, driving it through to the other side. Her body convulses wildly, like a fish flung out of water.
This kind of damage is beyond even a healer' s ability to sustain. Soon enough, her head lolls, and she stops breathing, dying with her eyes wide open.
I nod to stop the healing and release the vine magic. Her body collapses to the ground with a wet thud.
Her organs are scattered everywhere.
Killing someone is wrong. Even a [Rank F] is protected by law.
But in reality, it' s just words on paper to make the king look compassionate and merciful to all life.
In a world crawling with monsters and beasts, everyone' s just trying to survive. Who cares who dies, as long as it' s not one of their own?
Especially when it' s a worthless [Rank F] .
The best way to dispose of a body is to let the dungeon core absorb it.
The absorption time varies depending on the size and condition of the corpse.
But this method is thorough and clean, leaving no trace—not even clothes or bloodstains.
Plus, San will vouch for us, saying we only took the fang and let her go immediately, with no intent to kill. The guild' s reputation stays untarnished.
No evidence, job done. The rest is up to the dungeon cleanup crew for the final steps.
Once the dungeon core absorbs the body, it converts it into energy to spawn monsters.
They' ll wait for it to produce the last monster from her corpse before destroying the dungeon core.
Lady Majoka must be thrilled. No body for a funeral, no grave—just a destroyed dungeon, desolate, dark, and eerie. Soon, the dungeon itself will vanish. No one will remember, no one will know. She dies alone and pitifully, forever.
*****
Elda Nehu, Calika' s Younger Sister
"Sis, can' t sleep?"
I saw Sister Tiara tossing and turning, staring at the door a lot.
"Yeah, I' m worried about Calika. I don' t know if she' s got a dangerous job or if someone' s bullying her. But what about you, Elda? You' re not sleeping either? That' s not good—your body' s already so frail."
"I' m worried about Sister Calika too. Oh, today I picked some mushrooms growing on our house! Tomorrow we can have mushroom soup."
"Don' t save any for me. Calika' s been working hard—she can have my share."
"Okay, Sis."
I won' t eat either, then. But if I say that, Sister Tiara will just force me to eat. They' ve already taken such good care of me—I can skip a meal.
I really want Sister Calika to come back soon and eat the mushrooms I picked.
I look at Sister Tiara gazing at the sky through the hole in the roof. She closes her eyes, clasps her hands, and makes a wish.
"Goddess, please keep my Sister Calika safe. Let her boss care for her and treat her kindly."
*****
Majoka, Head of Internal Affairs, Branch Office, [Radiant Fang] Guild
After hearing Roja' s report about the torture and finishing her off by twisting the dagger in her heart, I was so satisfied that I paid him extra.
Once Roja left the room, and I was sure no one was nearby, I burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! That filthy wretch deserved to die! Who told you to stink up the place and dirty Lord Jaigias' s room? I' d kill you ten thousand times if I could. If I weren' t tied up with selling materials to merchants, I' d have stabbed you myself until you were a pincushion!"
Knock knock knock
"Hahaha! Die stupidly with no grave, you [Rank F] scum! You' re worthless anyway. You should thank me for giving you a chance to be reborn. Maybe your next life will be slightly better, you filthy wretch! Hahaha… hm?"
Was that a knock at the door?
Knock knock knock
"Who' s there?"
Ruining my moment of joy like that—if it' s not important, they' re in for it.
"It' s Rachel, Lady Majoka."
"Oh, Rachel! I' ll open the door right away!"
I rush to the door immediately. Rachel is Lord Jaigias' s personal healer.
Rachel' s a pretty girl, about 150 cm tall, with soft orange hair in twin tails. Her figure makes men gawk, especially her perfectly shaped C-cup chest.
If it' s Rachel, I' m happy to see her even without urgent business.
Anyone important to Lord Jaigias is important to me, no question.
Even if she' s…
"Come sit inside, Rachel."
"Oh, no need. Lord Jaigias sent me to tell you that the dagger in the box you gave him when he returned from the dungeon—it' s not his."
"What!?"
"Look."
Rachel opens the box I gave to Lord Jaigias. Inside is a plain short dagger.
"Lord Jaigias said this one' s made from the fang of a dune rabbit."
…Wait, then what dagger did I give Roja to stab that wretch with?
…No way, right?
"Thank you so much, Rachel, for bringing it to me. I' ll handle it from here."
"No problem!"
After seeing Rachel off, I sprint to the weapons department.
At the door, I shout at the top of my lungs.
"Labo!"
Amid the blacksmiths staring at me, a burly dwarf with a thick beard walks over, confused, sweating from working at the forge.
"What' s up, Lady Majoka?"
Labo wipes the sweat from his forehead. I shove the box in his face and say,
"The dagger you put in the box for me—it' s just some cheap thing made from a dune rabbit' s fang!"
I asked Labo for that dagger to stab that wretch. She deserved the ultimate humiliation, even in death.
"Where' s Lord Jaigias' s dagger? Get it out now!"
"Right away. I kept Lord Jaigias' s dagger in the safe, separate."
I breathe a sigh of relief.
Lucky you, you wretch. No idea what dagger you got stabbed with, but you still died in agony.
Consider it my final act of kindness.
But when Labo opens the safe, he quickly shuts it and starts rummaging around.
When he doesn' t find it, he orders everyone to help search.
After a long search, Labo comes back, looking guilty.
"Uh… Lady Majoka… last night, after work…"
"What about you!?"
Why do I have a bad feeling about this?
"I snuck some liquor and got drunk…"
…No. It' s not what I' m thinking, is it?
"Drunk and did what!? Spit it out!"
"I mixed up the daggers. Lord Jaigias' s dagger… it' s in the box I gave you instead…"
I' m so shocked I drop the fancy dagger box to the floor.
You absolute disaster!
I want to smash his face with a hammer and stomp him into mush right here.
"Please forgive me, Lady Majoka! I won' t sneak drinks again! Don' t cut my pay too much!"
Labo kneels, begging for mercy.
No, something far worse than a pay cut is waiting for both of us.
I ignore Labo and sprint to the stables by the guild.
Please, Goddess, help this kind-hearted girl just this once. Let the dungeon core eat only that wretch' s body. Keep that dagger safe and sound, I beg you, Goddess.
But when I see the dungeon cleanup team bringing in their horses,
I know instantly that the dagger
has been devoured by the dungeon core.
I walk up to Tuge, the cleanup team leader, pale as a ghost. I know it' s hopeless, but I cling to a shred of hope.
"Lady Majoka, you okay? You look pale."
"Has the dungeon core absorbed the [Rank F] and the dagger yet!? Have you destroyed the core!?"
I' m about to cry. Please, don' t let it have eaten it. Eat the wretch, fine, but not that dagger, I beg you.
"Oh, all done. Clean as a whistle. Core' s destroyed too."
It' s over. My life is over.