After some time, Lloyd and his party returned to Hamlet Town.
First, they dumped all the collected supplies into the warehouse, then used the resources at hand to build or upgrade various facilities. Normally, as a simulation-type dungeon, the construction pace in the Golden Dungeon should have been much slower. Resources would need to be gathered little by little, basic buildings gradually constructed, and functions unlocked step by step.
Once the buildings were sufficiently upgraded, they could then be used to strengthen the champions—leveling them up, equipping them with gear, and enhancing their skills. With higher levels, the champions could challenge tougher dungeons, acquire rarer materials, and bring them back to further develop the town. This cycle would repeat continuously.
But with Nepheli's presence, Lloyd had cleared both the inner and outer rings twice right from the start, gathering an exceptionally abundant amount of supplies.
So upon their return, Lloyd simply gave Hamlet Town a full upgrade. Blacksmith's, Ash of War House, Witch's House... everything that could be built was built, and everything that could be upgraded was upgraded. With the extra resources, he even built a bathhouse for the girls, so that after returning from battle, they could immediately wash away the grime and rest comfortably.
But after finishing all this, Lloyd suddenly realized something. He hadn't set aside any money for relieving the four girls' stress.
In this dungeon, relieving a champion's stress costs money. Food and drinks cost money. Entertainment items cost money. Even praying in the prayer room next to his own bedroom costs money…
Wait, seriously? Why does praying in the room next to my bedroom cost money?
[Because you need to spend resources to operate those buildings and enhance recovery effects]
Fine.
After closing the panel, the five girls came out of the bathhouse—including Nadisha, the housekeeper—still damp with steam clinging to their skin.
When he explained the situation, they all understood. Though the previous battle had taken its toll, Nepheli's position at the front meant the others had only minor losses. After soaking in the bath for a while, they had almost fully recovered.
But one person was an exception.
Lloyd looked at Nepheli, her head bowed, one hand clutching her arm, her demeanor completely different from usual, and shook his head.
Ever since falling into this tormented state—even on the way back—she had been like this.
Restless.
True to the name of her condition, the girl who had fought like a humanoid beast in the previous battle was now trapped in a constant state of unease.
And this wasn't some fabricated debuff conjured by the dungeon, but a manifestation of something buried deep in her own heart.
Without treatment, this state would persist even after leaving the dungeon and returning to reality.
But treatment required resources, and…
"If it's only Miss Nepheli, there is one way."
Just as Lloyd was wondering what to do, Nadisha suddenly stepped forward.
He looked up at her, puzzled.
"Really? I saw even the cheapest prayer costs over a thousand gold coins..."
"Conventional methods are indeed costly." Nadisha nodded, then continued.
"But don't forget—beneath the castle, there's another place for stress relief."
"If we use that place, it may cause some harm to the champion, but the cost is only about a third of the normal amount..."
A stress relief point in the castle basement?
Lloyd froze, his expression shifting as he realized what she meant.
"Wait… don't tell me you mean..."
"Yes." Nadisha nodded solemnly.
"The underground prison."
...
A moment later.
"Seriously, this is kinda messed up, isn't it..."
In the underground prison, Lloyd stared at the whip in his hand, then at the bucket of cold water nearby, and the shackles and restraints fixed to the wall. His eye twitched.
After checking the surroundings, he turned toward Nepheli.
"You really want to 'relieve stress' here? This doesn't look right... If not, I can take the other three out, earn some money, and buy you a meal to relax..."
No response.
Nepheli stood there in the robe she had changed into after bathing, silent.
Moments later, under Lloyd's doubtful gaze, she stepped forward on her own, knelt down at the punishment spot, and sat still.
Lloyd looked at her, then at the whip in his hand, and then...
He threw the whip aside, grabbed her by the collar, and yanked her up from the ground.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Lloyd wasn't angry, but something about Nepheli's state was undeniably wrong. If he didn't take some kind of drastic approach, nothing was going to change. Realizing this, he seized her and forced her head up from where she had been keeping it lowered.
And then he saw them.
Eyes full of pain, unease, and confusion.
After he forced her to look up and scolded her, those eyes showed an expression of weakness and fear unlike anything she had shown before.
And she had every reason to be weak.
Thinking back, every decision she had made on her own seemed to have been wrong.
At camp, she had refused to share a tent with Lloyd out of embarrassment, and when the pressure finally broke her, she dragged her teammates down with her...
In the Village of the Albinaurics, she slaughtered her foster father's men for nothing—she saved no one, and accomplished nothing...
Even earlier, after a small quarrel with her foster mother, she left for a time. When she returned, she only found out her foster mother had vanished...
She could never grasp what was important, always clinging stubbornly to her own views. And every time, her choices led to disaster.
The will of the ignorant is a cancer, so vile it makes even the horns of the Omen seem tame.
Nepheli had once been unable to understand her foster father's words.
But now, buried under torment, with the shadows of her heart dragged to the surface...
She finally seemed to understand.
Her stubbornness, the choices that led only to ruin, even the meaning of her own existence.
And with that understanding, everything began to shake, to collapse.
"Maybe I should never have had a will of my own. Every choice I've ever made has been wrong."
"But you're different. You can speak with my foster father, you always make the right decisions, you're willing to help the weak..."
"I truly hope you'll become Elden Lord, and I'm willing to..."
"I'll abandon all thought and obey only your orders. If you wish, you may even make me your puppet..."
"Perhaps only then I'll stop making mistakes."
Nepheli spoke earnestly, then bent down, picked up the whip Lloyd had discarded, and placed it in his hand.
Silence.
In the empty underground prison, Lloyd stared at the girl before him.
The same girl who had once swung an axe and charged a demigod head-on. The one who, when the Village of the Albinaurics was massacred, still chose to stand by his side as a warrior—even when told her foes were subordinates of The All-Knowing.
Now, kneeling humbly, she declared her willingness to obey his every order, even to become nothing more than a puppet at his mercy.
After a long silence, Lloyd finally spoke.
"You'll really follow any command?"
"...Yes."
"Good."
He let go of her collar.
"Then here and now... fight me."
Nepheli froze.
"What? Didn't you say I could do anything?"
Lloyd flexed his wrist.
"Of course. No weapons. Just hand-to-hand."
She finally understood, looked around, and spoke hesitantly.
"I'll obey, but..."
Thud—
Before she could finish, a fist smashed into her face the instant she agreed.
And then, before she could react, more fists hammered into her body.
Thud—thud—thud—
She tried to block, but couldn't.
She tried to speak, but every time she opened her mouth, another punch shut it again.
Frustration.
That was all she felt once the fight began.
But after being beaten one-sidedly for who knows how long, her anger finally flared.
Seizing an opening when he overextended a punch, she slammed her fist into his face.
Thud—
And somehow, with that one strike, the frustration inside her broke loose—and along with it, some of the unease and confusion faded as well.
From there, it turned into a raw, exhilarating brawl.
You punch me, I kick you.
You hit my face, I drive my fist into your gut.
Every blow landed hard, flesh meeting flesh with enough force to stir the air.
But that was exactly why Nepheli threw herself into the fight completely. Through the clash of fists and bodies, she poured out everything she carried inside.
Finally, after who knows how long, with one last swing, Nepheli lost her balance. Falling forward, she crashed into him, bringing them both down to the ground.
The fight ended.
Collapsed against Lloyd's chest, Nepheli gasped for breath, sweat pouring down her body. With every rise and fall of her chest, it streamed down her skin like a trickle, soaking into Lloyd's shirt.
Lloyd raised a hand and gently patted her back.
"Feeling better?"
After a brief silence, the girl buried her face against his chest and murmured,
"Much better."
"That's good."
Since Nepheli had burned through so much strength just now, Lloyd didn't make her move right away. He simply held her, lightly patting her back.
Time passed.
The girl resting against his chest spoke again.
"What I said earlier... it wasn't nonsense."
"I always make the wrong choices. I'm not clever. Other than fighting, I can't do anything, I have nothing."
"I really don't know what to do anymore."
After a pause, Lloyd's voice came quietly.
"Then from now on, just work for me."
He patted Nepheli's back and continued slowly.
"What you said before? I don't think there's anything wrong with it."
"Helping me, following my orders—I can accept that."
"But as your friend, I don't want you to deny yourself like that. I don't want you to lose who you are."
"After all, even if you've made plenty of mistakes, you've actually made more right choices than wrong ones. You're just too fixated on the failures..."
"And even as a lord, what I want is a Storm Warrior who keeps growing, not a lifeless puppet..."
He took Nepheli's hand, and in his other hand, a gray ring appeared.
Looking down at the girl in his arms, he spoke softly.
"Be my warrior, Nepheli."
"Let me be your master, let me give you a new purpose."
"And I can promise you this—"
"I will make good use of you."
The girl in his embrace stiffened.
Then, after a moment's hesitation, she gave a faint "Mm" and raised her finger, slipping it through the gray ring.
[Acquired Covenant: 'Storm Warrior']
[Equipping slightly increases physical damage]
[Covenant count has reached requirement, system upgrade]
[Current covenant slots: 1/2]
After completing the covenant, Lloyd held Nepheli a while longer. As he felt her emotions settle and the tormented state fade away, he finally spoke again.
"Hey, don't you think it's about time you got up?"
He paused, then added,
"Not that I'm complaining, but those two buttons on your clothes are kind of digging into me. If you want, we could switch positions so I can hold you more comfortably..."
But at those words, Nepheli froze.
Buttons?
She was wearing the robe she had changed into after her bath. How could there be buttons... Wait.
A sudden thought struck her.
Because of her habits around the other girls, and weighed down by her low mood, when she changed clothes earlier she had, probably, maybe... cut a corner or two.
Sensing the stiffness in the girl in his arms, Lloyd raised an eyebrow.
"Wait, you're not wearing any..."
Overcome with shame, Nepheli clung tighter. The pressure only grew more uncomfortable.
Moments later, before Lloyd could say anything else, Nepheli realized this was even worse. She suddenly shot up, intending to leave.
Then...
Already stretched to its limit during the earlier struggle, the robe couldn't withstand the sudden pull. With her abrupt movement, it tore apart completely.
Rip—
Nepheli froze.
Straddling Lloyd, she stared at the shredded fabric on the floor. Slowly, her gaze drifted upward until it landed on Lloyd's face, which hadn't managed to turn away in time. Her mind went blank for a heartbeat.
And in that instant, the warrior who had fought like a tiger just moments ago turned into a timid kitten.
Hugging herself, she leaned down against Lloyd. Even with her head lowered, the blush spreading from her cheek to her ears was impossible to miss.
Her voice, compared to before, came out soft and sweet, like a kitten's mew.
"Lloyd, Lord Lloyd... could you... bring me some clothes..."
Lloyd would've fetched something, but the problem was that she was still straddling him. Even if he wanted to get up, he couldn't.
So instead, he reached out and stroked the little black cat in his arms, soothing her until she melted into his chest. Only then did he rise, retrieve a women's long dress from his inventory, and hand it to Nepheli.
"Put this on first."
After that, he patted the little black cat's head and turned away.
A short while later, accompanied by rustling fabric, Nepheli finished changing and whispered softly.
"I'm ready..."
Lloyd turned back. What greeted him was Nepheli, face bright red, standing there utterly flustered.
Truth be told, though a bit simple-minded, she had all the features of a true beauty.
Even in her usual barbarian-style leather armor, she carried a raw, untamed allure. But now, freshly bathed, her hair neatly arranged, and wearing a long dress, her wheat-colored skin glowed warmly, steam still rising from her body. She looked like a freshly baked loaf of bread—warm and fragrant.
"Um... what is it..."
Nepheli tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her awkwardness written all over her face.
Having spent so much time as a warrior, she wasn't used to wearing anything so feminine. During their earlier brawl, if Lloyd hadn't steadied her with playful punches, she would've stumbled herself into bruises.
And now...
Looking at her bashful face, Lloyd suddenly felt a mischievous urge rise up.
It was like opening the dorm room door to find your buddy forced into women's clothes after losing a bet. Anyone who could resist teasing at that moment had to be some saint bound by their own divine law.
Thinking this, Lloyd walked over under Nepheli's puzzled gaze, grabbed her arm, and pinned her against the wall.
He picked up the whip from the ground and cracked it a few times.
"Wh-what are you..."
"Stress relief."
Lloyd answered naturally.
"We already spent the money. I just helped you out of your torment. Now we've still got time left—we can't waste it..."
He hadn't planned on doing anything serious, just teasing her a little. He wasn't using any strength. Even if the whip startled her into flinching, she could've easily slipped free.
But...
Not only did she not resist, Nepheli didn't even show the slightest sign of struggle.
In fact, once she realized what was happening, she only hesitated for a moment before lowering her head.
"...Alright."
This time, Lloyd was the one left dumbfounded.
Seriously? You're going along with it?
Staring at Nepheli, her head bowed, her whole presence radiating submission, a pang of guilt struck him.
Was this... just taking advantage of a fool...?
...
[Up to 20 chapters ahead for now]
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