And shortly after, he appeared with Janet.

Janet was limp, with a gag in her mouth and her limbs bound.

Startled by the sight, I couldn’t help but scream her name.

“Janet!”

Fortunately, she seemed to have merely lost consciousness, as she opened her eyes at my call. I had never been so glad to see her red eyes.

“You’re safe! I was so worried!”

Still not fully conscious, she blinked with a dazed expression.

“Be happy. Your master has come to find you, Janet.”

Michalis removed the gag from her mouth.

“Master…?”

Only then did Janet look at me properly.

“Yes, it’s me. Are you hurt?”

Janet seemed momentarily confused by my friendly demeanor. But soon, she quickly assessed the situation, glancing between Michalis and me. I could almost hear the gears turning in her head.

Finally, having made up her mind about whom to side with, she cried out in an emotional voice.

“How could you come here? You should have abandoned someone like me. Your safety should come first, Master!”

Janet’s acting skills were on par with Pinion’s.

On the other hand, my concern for her was entirely genuine.

“But I can’t live fully without you…! You know, just imagining what could have happened to you is terrifying…”

Just imagining myself bald and seducing the male leads made my vision go dark.

“I feel the same way. I can’t bear to see you in danger because of me, Master!”

“Janet…!”

“Master…!”

We looked at each other affectionately. Anyone unaware of the situation would easily mistake us for having an unbreakable master-servant bond.

Michalis watched us with satisfaction.

“I feel relieved knowing that my subordinate’s new master is kind. As the leader of a race, I naturally worry about my people. What if they meet a cruel master and get abused…”

“Release Janet immediately.”

“Unfortunately, I can’t do that yet.”

I urged Michalis, eager to secure the safety of my roots, but he firmly refused.

I tore my gaze away from Janet and looked directly at him.

“I know you’ve been lurking around me. I also know you killed other transcendents hiding in the capital. What’s your plan?”

“That’s correct. It bothered me that those who don’t know their place were targeting you with impure intentions.”

“So, you’re saying you didn’t approach me with impure intentions?”

“Of course. Although the process of arranging this meeting involved some misunderstandings and led to a somewhat aggressive encounter, fortunately, we can communicate well, so there shouldn’t be any bigger issues.”

“What do you want from me? Don’t tell me, you plan to bite me and make me your subordinate…?”

As soon as I said it, it seemed quite plausible.

I raised Shahar threateningly and glared at him.

“Know that it won’t be fun if you try anything funny…!”

“Don’t worry. I’m not a dog, and I don’t bite just anyone. Besides, turning you into one of us wouldn’t bring much benefit.”

Michalis, who had firmly shut down that notion, spoke again.

“Enril has taken something from me. It’s very precious to me, so I must retrieve it. However, since Enril’s whereabouts are unknown, I have no choice but to ask you.”

‘Damn it, Enril again… What kind of mess is it this time?’

I was so fed up with Enril’s misdeeds that I felt more despair than anger.

“What should I do? It’s true that I inherited Mount Acheron from Enril, but I was also informed unilaterally, so I don’t know anything about his past. Unfortunately, finding a way yourself might be faster.”

“That would be ideal, but it’s impossible, which is why I’ve come to you.”

Michalis pointed to the necklace around my neck.

“You’re the only living being who can enter Enril’s lair now.”

“Then I definitely can’t help you. I still don’t know how to get to the lair either. Besides, how can I trust a vampire I’ve just met today?”

Suddenly, Michalis’s eyes flashed like those of a wild animal.

Then, ancient language flowed from his mouth.

Even though I had never learned the ancient language, I could miraculously understand his words.

[ I, Michalis Ionia, swear to speak only the truth before Lou Dronay.]

A moment later, he returned to his original form and smiled.

“Well, that’s done, right? A vow made in the ancient language cannot be broken. Your mate should know that too.”

“Thanks for the vow, but I don’t know how to get to the lair?”

“I know.”

His words were intriguing.

“How do you get there?”

“My mate, a dragon’s lair is not a place humans can easily go to.”

“But His Majesty the Emperor is pressing me to find a way to the lair as soon as possible. And I’m curious about what’s inside. I’m having a hard time because of the mess Enril made, so I must steal his treasure out of sheer frustration.”

“That’s a good point. Besides, with the King of the Underworld here, what is there to worry about?”

“Right. You will protect me, Shahar, won’t you? I really want to go.”

Blinded by the thought of finally being able to steal Enril’s treasure, I stubbornly insisted.

“……”

The coal didn’t respond, but it was practically a tacit approval.

“Alright. Then shall we depart now?”

“Now…?”

“It’s more convenient to handle it quickly without delay.”

“That’s true, but my parents don’t know I’m out. If I don’t return before dawn tomorrow, the house will be in an uproar.”

“Don’t worry about that. With the King of the Underworld here, it won’t take long.”

Michalis transformed back into black mist and enveloped me and the coal before we could react.

A moment later, we stood before the portal leading to Enril’s lair.

‘To break through the barrier so easily…’

And despite knights with torches patrolling nearby, Michalis didn’t seem to care at all. He was definitely not someone to be underestimated.

On the other hand, unlike him, Janet couldn’t avoid the barrier’s effects and was groaning.

‘She won’t be harmed, will she?’

Feeling anxious, I asked Michalis irritably.

“How do we find it?”

“If you call the name, it will answer. Please bring it carefully without any scratches.”

“Surely it’s not a living person, right?”

“It’s not, so don’t worry.”

“What’s the name?”

“Violet.”

Of all things, the name sounded like a perfectly normal woman’s name, which made it even more suspicious.

Despite my doubtful gaze, Michalis just smiled faintly.

“I assure you, it’s definitely not a living person.”

Well, he wouldn’t lie after making a vow of truth.

I removed the necklace and brought it to the portal as before. Just like last time, the portal resonated, and ancient language characters floated above it.

Michalis, watching from behind, stepped closer.

“I’ll read it first, just follow along.”

[Oh cozy home, welcome your master.]

Although I couldn’t pronounce it as perfectly as he did, I managed to succeed somehow.

“Now close your eyes and imagine yourself inside the lair.”

I followed his instructions again, but nothing special happened.

‘What’s this? Did I fail because my pronunciation was too bad?’

As I slightly opened my eyes, the sky and the ground suddenly flipped without warning.

“Ahhh!”

Falling ungracefully, I tried to get up while rubbing my sore butt. But the light was so intense that I couldn’t even lift my head.

After a while, when my eyes adjusted to the light, I could finally take a proper look around.

“Wow…”

The sight was so beautiful that I forgot the pain and my eyes widened in astonishment.

Enril’s lair was not the dark cave one might imagine. It was rather a splendid and antique palace.

The high ceiling, which required me to crane my neck to look up, was adorned with dozens of chandeliers, making it as bright as daylight.

It was immediately apparent that everything in sight was not crafted by human hands.

Making sure not to forget the coal, I cautiously took a step forward.

The sound of my shoes echoed in the silent space.

Before long, I stopped.

An endless corridor, hundreds of rooms, and a garden with a lake so large it could be mistaken for a river. The vastness of the space was overwhelming, making me feel small.

“Can we really return home today with this much space?”

“No problem.”

The coal answered confidently.

Impressed by his confidence, I gave up on walking quickly and promptly climbed onto him.

Determined to get me back to the mansion before dawn, Shahar began to fly at a crazy speed.

Hundreds of rooms filled with jewels and artworks came close in an instant and then receded just as quickly.