The Dungeon lord : Women, power and monsters

Chapter 26: Chapter 26 : Alone time

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By the time Tolu and Ore reached the gates, the sun was already beginning to dip toward the horizon.

They were almost through when two familiar figures stepped into their path.

Akin folded his arms.

Temi stood beside him, staring at the pair suspiciously.

"There you are."

Tolu stopped.

Ore stopped beside him.

Akin looked between them.

"What have you two been doing all these weeks?"

Tolu blinked.

"Normal quests."

Ore nodded quickly.

"Gathering herbs. Small jobs."

Akin raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Then why haven’t I seen either of you at the guild?"

Tolu’s expression froze.

Ore glanced at him.

Akin continued.

"I’ve been there almost every day. Temi too."

Temi nodded.

"We haven’t seen either of you."

Tolu opened his mouth.

Nothing came out.

Ore looked at him.

He looked back at her.

Neither of them had prepared for this.

They couldn’t exactly explain that they had spent the last few weeks secretly stalking a Level Two Ironfang Wolf with the intention of trapping it and bringing it back to a hidden dungeon.

That sounded less like an adventure and more like a suicide attempt.

Temi narrowed her eyes.

"Why are you two looking at each other like that?"

Tolu looked away.

Ore did the same.

Temi suddenly gasped.

"Oh!"

Everyone looked at her.

She pointed at them.

"Look at their faces!"

Tolu’s eyes widened.

Temi grinned.

"They’ve obviously been having some alone time in the forest."

Tolu’s mouth dropped open. Ore’s did too. They both turned toward each other. Their eyes met. For a moment, Tolu looked like he was about to protest. Ore looked equally ready to deny it. Then they both stopped.

Explaining the truth would mean explaining everything. The dungeon, the war, the Ironfang, the trap.

The secret they’d spent weeks protecting.

Neither of them said a word.

Temi’s grin grew wider when they didn’t deny. "I knew it."

Akin sighed. "Well..."

He looked at the two of them. "If that’s what you’ve been doing, you don’t have to worry."

Tolu looked at him.

Akin smiled. "We’ll keep your secret safe."

Temi nodded enthusiastically. "Of course."

Tolu stared at them. He couldn’t decide whether he was relieved or embarrassed.

Ore looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her.

Akin gave Tolu a knowing smile before stepping aside.

"Anyway, enough about you two."

He gestured toward them.

"What have you been up to lately?"

Ore finally spoke. "And what about you two?"

Akin’s smile faded slightly.

Temi looked at him.

They exchanged a glance.

Akin sighed. "That’s a story of its own."

Tolu raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

Temi smiled. "Let’s just say we’ve been busy too."

Tolu looked between them.

For the first time, he wondered what the two of them had been doing all this time.

Ore folded her arms.

"Then let’s hear it."

Akin laughed.

"Fine. But not here."

The four of them began walking through the gate together.

Behind them, the forest slowly disappeared into the evening darkness.

And neither Tolu nor Ore said another word about the Ironfang.

Akin smiled.

"We’ve mostly been training."

Temi nodded, though she suddenly looked a little embarrassed.

"Training?"

Ore asked.

"Yeah," Akin said. "We figured there’s no point going on dangerous quests if we haven’t even mastered what we already know."

Tolu nodded approvingly.

"That’s actually a good idea."

Akin glanced at Temi.

"We’ve been sparring too."

Temi’s face immediately tightened.

"Don’t."

Akin grinned.

"What?"

"Don’t say it."

Tolu looked between them.

"Say what?"

Akin’s smile widened.

"I win most of our spars."

Temi’s face turned red.

"You don’t have to tell everyone!"

Akin laughed.

"Why not? It’s true."

"Because you won’t shut up about it!"

"Maybe if you won more often, I wouldn’t have anything to say."

Temi glared at him.

"I’ve beaten you before."

"Twice."

"Three times!"

"One of those was because I slipped."

Temi folded her arms.

"You still fell."

Ore covered a smile with her hand.

Tolu couldn’t help laughing.

Temi looked at the two of them.

"Don’t encourage him."

Akin shrugged.

"She’s getting better, though."

Temi’s expression softened slightly despite herself.

"You’re not terrible either."

Akin smiled.

"That’s the nicest thing you’ve said all week."

"Don’t get used to it."

The four of them continued walking toward the guild.

For the first time in weeks, they were all together again.

Tolu stopped just outside the guild.

"I need to do something quickly."

He had completely forgotten that he still had Tobi’s notebook.

He hadn’t visited the guild in several days, which meant he hadn’t gotten the chance to return it.

With a quiet sigh, he walked inside.

The guild was busier than usual.

Tolu made his way toward the counter, but stopped when he noticed someone standing in front of Tobi.

The man was dressed like an adventurer. His equipment wasn’t particularly flashy, but it was clearly well-used. A sword hung at his side, and a worn pack rested against his back.

Tobi noticed Tolu approaching.

"Tolu."

The man turned slightly.

Tobi gestured toward him.

"Perfect timing. I was just talking about the area."

Tolu nodded politely.

The man looked at him briefly before returning his attention to Tobi.

"So you’re saying there have been no recent sightings of the Ironfang pack?"

"None that the guild has recorded," Tobi replied.

The man nodded.

"What about the northern forest?"

Tobi thought for a moment.

"Still relatively quiet. The usual Level One creatures. There have been reports of a few larger beasts deeper in, but nothing confirmed."

"What about the western ridge?"

"Mostly Stonehide Boars and smaller creatures. Nothing unusual."

The man nodded again.

"How about the Ironfang territory itself?"

Tobi glanced at Tolu before answering.

"They’re still there. The pack hasn’t moved."

The man’s expression remained neutral.

"Good."

Tolu listened quietly.

The man continued asking questions.

How frequently the wolves were seen.

Whether the pack had changed its territory.

Whether there had been any unusual activity in the forest.

Whether other adventurers had recently reported injuries.

Tobi answered each question carefully.

After several minutes, the man thanked him.

"That’s all I needed."

Tobi nodded.

"Stay safe out there."

The man turned and walked away, disappearing through the guild’s entrance.

Tolu watched him leave.

Then he approached the counter.

Tobi looked at him.

"Don’t tell me you forgot the notebook."

Tolu gave an embarrassed smile.

"I was going to return it."

"You’ve had it for weeks."

"I know."

Tolu reached inside his clothes and placed the notebook on the counter.

"I just haven’t been coming here."

Tobi picked it up.

"I figured."

Tolu glanced toward the door where the adventurer had disappeared.

"Who was that?"

Tobi looked after him.

"Adventurer. He had some questions about the area."

"Anything important?"

"Not particularly."

Tobi placed the notebook beneath the counter.

"Just be careful if you’re going back into the forest."

Tolu nodded.

"I will."

He turned and walked toward the exit.

For some reason, he glanced back once.

The stranger was already gone.

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