―43― This guy gives off a dangerous scent.
"Master, this person gives off a dangerous scent."
"Yeah, I know."
I was sweating nervously.
I've been killed by the vampire Judith many times.
She's extremely aggressive.
But as long as I don't make any mistakes in how I approach her, I know things will be fine, as proven by the me from a different timeline.
"Nice to meet you, the great true ancestor of vampires, Lady Judith."
Saying that, I respectfully bowed.
"Oh my, do I detect a hint of manners? Can I trust my eyes?"
She said this while squinting her eyes.
I think I managed to make a decent impression.
"So, what exactly are you doing here?"
"I'm conquering this dungeon."
"And what do you have in your hand?"
"It's a Parasitic Sword Puppet Core."
"My, you seem to be carrying quite a dangerous item."
As she said this, she had a combative look in her eyes and drew a blade made of blood from her wrist.
This is bad.
Given her demeanor, it seems like a fight is about to break out.
I really don't want to fight her if I can avoid it.
"Please wait. I can control the Parasitic Sword Puppet Core like this. So, I won't do anything random like attacking you. Please, just let us go. It would be best if neither of us had to fight."
I desperately tried to convince her. I hope she'll understand and let us off the hook.
"Controlling the Puppet Core? It's hard to believe that all of a sudden."
"But... um, the fact that I can hold it like a sword is proof that I have control."
"Well, I do acknowledge that you seem different from the adventurers who were taken over by the Parasitic Sword Puppet Core before."
She placed her hand on her chin, contemplating.
After a moment, she said:
"Very well. I'll let it slide this time."
I felt a sigh of relief.
I'm glad we managed to avoid a fight. Judith moved aside, clearing the way for us to pass by.
But at that moment, something unexpected happened.
"This woman acts all high and mighty. She must have a terrible personality."
The Puppet Core's voice, loud enough for Judith to hear, insulted her.
"What the hell are you saying!?"
I blurted out, and in an instant, something came flying toward me. Clang! I caught the flying object with my sword. It was a knife made of blood.
"Oh, she's really angry."
The Puppet Core laughed, making the situation even worse.
"Your manners leave much to be desired, Sword."
Judith's blood vessels surfaced. It seemed she was genuinely furious.
"I-I'm sorry!!"
I yelled and fled.
---
"Phew... phew... phew..."
Having managed to escape from Judith, I was catching my breath.
"Well, that was fun, huh?"
In contrast, the Puppet Core was laughing merrily.
"You..."
While the Puppet Core seemed to be enjoying itself, I was getting annoyed.
We got away this time, but I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if we had fought.
"Is your master mad?"
"A little."
"Why? Even if she had started a fight, if I teamed up with you, we could have easily beaten her."
The Puppet Core confidently declared, but I couldn't help but wonder who was stronger between the current me and Judith. Well, even if I were confident in my ability to win, I still wouldn't want to fight her.
"Even if that were true, I still don't want to fight her."
"Why?"
When asked, I found myself struggling to provide an answer.
It wasn't like I could say that we had a good relationship in a different timeline, right?
"Could it be that... um, she's your type?"
"N-No way."
"You were definitely blushing just now."
"I'm not blushing."
"Hehe, it's so fun teasing you."
"Stop teasing your own master."
"Heh, what should I do next?"
As we exchanged light banter, we continued deeper into the dungeon.
---
"I think it's around here..."
"What are you looking for, Master?"
We were at the entrance of the boss room.
"I'm looking for a hidden room around here."
"What's in the hidden room?"
"It's an item called the 'Crystal of Wisdom,' which grants the 'Attribute Infusion' skill."
"You know about a hidden room that gives you such an item? Impressive, Master!"
"That's right. So you should show me more respect."
"Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. Satisfied now?"
"I'm sure you don't really mean that."
As we chatted, I found a hidden switch. When I pressed it, a passage leading to a secret room appeared.
I entered the room and found a central chamber with a treasure chest.
▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽
Obtained 'Crystal of Wisdom.'
Effect will be activated forcibly.
△△△△△△△△△△△△△△△
However, I was surprised by the message that appeared.
"Huh...?"
I was taken aback for a reason.
The skill I received was not 'Attribute Infusion.'
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