Chapter 29: The Man Behind the Attack

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: The Man Behind the Attack

The house was silent.

Several kilometers away from Arin’s village, Zarl Baghud sat in his study, watching the cup of tea in his hands cool. The room was lit by a dim light that came through the windows. Bookshelves decorated the walls. A map of the region pinned on the wall marked several places with red ink. There was also a fireplace, which added warmth to the room.

Zarl looked up as his servant, who had been observing the master’s actions in silence, finally spoke.

"Master."

Zarl raised his head and regarded his assistant. "Yes?"

"The Dungeon Master survived."

Zarl’s lips twisted into a smile. "Good," he said. "I expected him to."

His servant gave a strange look. "You expected him to?" "After seeing him in action, yes."

Zarl leaned back in his chair. "He is weak. His control of the power is... primitive, shall we say. He does not possess the finesse that the previous Dungeon Masters had."

He frowned. "But that is not the part that interests me."

The servant inclined his head. "He saved the villagers."

"That is the part that interests me, actually," said Zarl. He glanced out the window. Several kilometers below him, he saw the village. It was safe. He remembered Arin’s face as the young adventurer fought the creatures. His skills, his reactions, his determination, the clever use of mana, his very mind and body screaming in agony when he was wounded. But what stood out to Zarl the most was the hesitation before he had attacked one of the chimeras.

"But he adapts quickly."

The servant raised an eyebrow. "Is that not the most unexpected thing for an adventurer?"

"For a dungeon Master perhaps," Zarl murmured. He straightened up and his expression became solemn. "An average adventurer has nothing to lose and everything to gain by using the monsters’ abilities to the fullest extent. But the chimeras, the monsters, the creatures were not his to command. And most importantly, he did not see them as his to command."

The servant gave a strange look. "You think that this is a good sign, Master?"

"An unexpected sign," Zarl said. "He is a dungeon master, but he still thinks as a human being."

The servant looked at Zarl with a mixture of disappointment and confusion. "You think that it is a bad thing?"

"On the contrary," Zarl smiled. "I find it most fascinating." The servant said nothing. "You are wondering why I did not order to reduce his attack level, are you not?"

"Partly," the servant answered. "You wanted to see his skill level."

"Indeed." Zarl took the cup of tea in his hands. "A dungeon master is not merely a person who bears the mark. You see, I wanted to know with whom I would share the fate of my city."

The servant studied his master’s face. "And what do you think of him?"

Zarl allowed himself a smile. "He is an adventurer at heart."

The servant blinked. "An adventurer?"

"His instincts, his decision-making skills, his overall approach to the battle, all these things scream that he is an ordinary adventurer who has stumbled upon the greatest treasure that humanity can imagine." Zarl set the cup back on the table. "He does not understand the power that he possesses. He does not know that he can command the dungeon.

"His ignorance of it all makes it difficult for him to accept the reality of the situation. He does not realize that he is a dungeon master, that he is the one who has the right to rule the dungeon. He does not realize his place in the greater scheme of things." Zarl glanced at the pendant under his coat. "He does not have the knowledge of what it means to be a dungeon master. Nor does he fully understand the history behind it the same way as anyone else would."

The servant’s expression softened. "Do you think that he should know it?"

"Not yet," said Zarl. He sighed. "Knowledge can be more dangerous than power. If he learns about them too soon and understands his power on a deep level, it may turn out to be harmful instead of empowering."

The servant gave a sad smile. "So what do you think he needs?"

Zarl gazed out the window. "Experience," he said after a while. "The ability to understand his power."

A tense silence filled the room. "But he will become a dungeon master," the servant finally said.

"Exactly," Zarl replied.

The servant looked away. "Master, may I ask you something?"

Zarl gave the man a strange look. "Of course."

"Was it necessary to take the maid?"

"No," said Zarl. The servant looked surprised. "No?"

"It was useful," Zarl continued. "Arin has made it clear to us what he would do to strangers. Now, I want to know what he will do to loved ones. I want to see what he would do when the ones he loves are in danger."

The servant stared at the master in shock. "You want to test his devotion."

"I want to test his judgment," said Zarl. His eyes narrowed. "Will he blindly charge at the enemies thinking that the only thing that has mattered to him is the maid’s safety, or will he be able to think clearly and realize that the situation calls for caution?"

It took some time for his servant to reply. "And what if he comes?"

Zarl smiled. "Then we will all see what kind of a dungeon master he truly is."

"And if he does not come?"

Zarl looked out the window. "We will learn something else."

The servant nodded. "You think that he will come."

"I do," said Zarl. He looked back at the servant. "Not because of the maid."

"Because of the man he is."

Zarl’s voice was quiet. He looked down at the pendant under his coat. "Arin Rahman will never turn his back on those who depend on him."

The man did not say anything for a long time. Then, Zarl reached out and pulled the old pendant out from under his shirt. He looked at the mark on it. The same symbol that adorned Arin’s hand. For a moment, it seemed as if he was smiling. "The previous master made many mistakes. I wonder if this one will repeat them."

Elsewhere

Mira opened her eyes. The room was pitch black. She sat up and winced as her wrists rubbed against the rope binding them. She could not move her arms freely. It took a moment for the girl to register where she was. Stone walls. A wooden door. No windows. A prison room.

"So this is where they took me," she muttered.

She remembered what had happened before she lost consciousness. The monsters, the chaos, and then, the arrival of strange people in the house. Mira could barely believe it. She had not expected anyone to come to the house.

The first one to appear, to protect her, would be Arin. Mira knew him well enough. She knew that if he found out that she had been kidnapped, he would come to rescue her.

She sighed. "That idiot..."

She shook her head. "He is probably already on his way here."

The door opened. A man stepped inside the tiny room. He set a plate of food and a glass of water on the floor before leaving. Mira looked up at the newcomer.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

The man did not answer. He simply turned around and exited the room. "Wait!" Mira called. "Why was I taken?"

He did not respond. Mira narrowed her eyes as she looked at his back. "It has something to do with Arin, doesn’t it?" She took a step forward. "Tell me what you want with me!"

As soon as she spoke those words, the man turned around. His piercing eyes locked onto Mira’s. The girl narrowed her eyes at him. "I see," she said.

She turned back to the food and water. "Arin, don’t do anything stupid."

Back in his Study

The servant came back into the room. He handed Zarl a folded note. "The message is ready."

Zarl took it from him and unfolded it. He did not have to read it to know what it said. A location. That was all that was needed for Arin to know where to go. The servant watched him carefully. "Is this wise?"

Zarl folded the message. "Yes," he said.

"You are sending him the location. Do you not think that he may call upon the hero?"

"If he does, then I shall learn something about the hero as well," Zarl replied. The servant frowned. "What about the dragon?"

"The dragon is not your concern," Zarl said. The servant looked at his master. He remembered the warning.

"Never mistake the servant for the master."

Zarl nodded. "Precisely. You may now send the message to him."

The servant took the paper from Zarl and exited the room. "Yes, Master." As he was about to leave, he turned around. "Master, may I ask you something?"

Zarl studied his servant’s expression. "Of course."

"Do you truly believe that this Dungeon Master can survive what is to come?"

Zarl was silent for a moment. For the first time, his mask slipped, revealing his uncertainty. "I do not know," he said finally. He looked out the window. "He will either live to see the end or die trying. That is why I find him so fascinating."

The servant bowed and left the room. Zarl stood by the window, looking out at the distant mountains. "Let us see how far you will go, Arin Rahman," he murmured. "Let us see what kind of Dungeon Master you are."