Dungeon Overlord: Monster Girl Harem!-Chapter 96: The Embervale Citadel

Zafira's eyes almost popped out the moment she saw Leonhardt stroking the goblin female's head. It became worse when he suddenly gave the goblins some time off when she put them through extensive training regimes and rarely let them take breaks.

'Why...'

Her throat tightened, stopping words from coming out the moment he scolded her and mentioned going "home" as if that home was something they shared. The small word made her heart thump like a rabbit's feet.

"Understood, Dungeon Master."

New n𝙤vel chapters are published on freeweɓnøvel.com.

A cold and polite sentence came from her lips as she watched him, almost glowing from the ember rays of the great forest.

'It never felt this complicated before!'

Sometimes hot, sometimes cold... Her body and mind became disjointed. The instant she smelled his scent and felt his aura, everything collapsed, despite telling herself she wouldn't change and that these feelings couldn't change her.

She couldn't stop her combat form from activating and flying thousands of metres from the enemy dungeon just to greet him... like a faithful dog.

'Yet I am not angry... I just want more, to smell him, taste him... touch him.'

A pink mist with a sweet scent flowed from her pores, the sign of a succubus that has met a partner that they desired, not as food or sustenance but as her partner.

Normally, succubi would gather energy naturally from the atmosphere, and only those of lower bloodlines or evolutions needed the life essence of the opposite sex—rather than a necessity, and was a luxury.

Similar to a human's desire to drink expensive wine or sweet cakes.

But the berserker-class succubus was predominantly a combat type.

A rare and different from the typical succubus that relied on external essence. The berserker was the only succubus which had a core. Lesser succubi worshiped them, dreaming of the day they might form a core of their own.

'This is strange... I feel light headed.' She thought while following Leonhardt.

She noticed Leonhardt's changes almost instantly.

His aura was denser and filled with a delicious taste that made her lightheaded.

Not to mention his body created a refreshing scent. Zafira also noticed that he didn't fear her anymore and rather treated her with a sense of comfort.

However, she didn't mind this. But the intense emotions which Zafira struggled to deal with and couldn't understand them. She struggled with an irrational anger, an unquenchable thirst, and a sense of longing for him.

"Well, you've done an amazing job, Zafira."

"Eh?"

'What did he just say?"

She was too focused on holding back from acting on her instincts and didn't quite catch his compliment as they stepped into the Embervale Keep.

He turned to face her as the trees swayed, allowing shafts of sunlight to illuminate his face and make him look stunning. "I said you've done an amazing job—thank you."

'....'

White noise filled Zafira's mind as she started almost hyperventilating the moment he stepped away and her hands gripped her chest as her wings batted the ground.

However, before she could follow him, Nyxara and another grating voice sounded from behind her. It seemed Asuka and the dark elf had finally caught up to the succubus after she had left them behind.

"Hah?"

With a sharp huff and foul tone, she snapped back to the pair and pointed at them her face darker than before while her pupils shrank.

"You—"

***

Meanwhile, Leonhardt enjoyed the transformed keep. He remembered that before leaving. It was mostly wood and sticks, forming makeshift huts and buildings.

Now, it was a small village of its own, protected by a stone wall and metal tower that looked imposing.

'Where did they get those black stones from?'

[Didn't know check your dungeon for minerals and herbs before leaving?]

After hearing Ifrit's scolding voice after a long silence, Leonhardt became comfortable. Because she was trying to gather enough energy and aura to form a core to sustain herself in the real world and so couldn't talk to him often.

'I remember the fruits and rare plants that you said were good for treating wounds, but minerals... did my dungeon have those?'

[Fool!]

[Every dungeon has a special characteristic depending on its type and element!]

He couldn't help but smile while rocking Sylvie in his arms, stepping through the paved road while listening to Ifrit telling him about his dungeon.

'So my dungeon has ores and stones because of the fire element?'

He asked as he entered through a set of grand steel doors.

[Thanks to a certain goddess, your fire element mutated the minerals present and created a special type of stone and metal!]

'Oh... I see, what a great goddess.' His monotone thoughts echoed.

The goblins seemed to have engraved an image onto the doors. It appeared to be a primitive drawing of Leonhardt from the goblins' point of view.

A huge figure stood above the bowing goblins as they seemed to worship him.

'Is this how they see me, or is it something Zafira did?'

[The goblins, after learning about the citadel you gave them... normally dungeon monsters aren't given homes]

Leonhardt knew that the monsters in a dungeon wouldn't be treated like living creatures because they couldn't breed.

Unless they evolved and the dungeon master allowed it.

"Well, they probably wouldn't do that because monsters born that way aren't loyal to the dungeon and can leave at any time..."

Leonhardt watched the passing goblins wave at him, much brighter since they all became ember goblins.

"But my vision differs from theirs."

[That's why you are so wonderful~]

'It's rare to get a compliment from you...' Leonhardt mused while stepping into the dungeon.

"Eh?"

He gasped at the sudden comfortable feeling.

The heat was perfect, and the air wasn't humid anymore like in the past. Leonhardt turned toward the entrance and noticed Zafira approaching with Nyxara and Asuka behind her, but they were both sulking.

In fact, Asuka looked like she was about to cry while rubbing her swollen cheeks.

'What happened?'

Leonhardt waited for the trio to approach him while Zafira stepped forward first.

"Dungeon Master, you could have waited... I would have given you a grand tour!"

Her eyes seemed to be filled with disappointment and sadness as her wings drooped.

"Zafira... I only just stepped in—"

But because of her expression, he shook his head and then stepped back and flicked his head towards her.

"Then please, guide me."

Leonhardt watched the succubus' expression shift into glee as she eagerly ushered him along. It was clear that Zafira took great pride in the dungeon that he let her renovate. A smile curled on his face.

'What an adorable monster...'

However, Leonhardt's thoughts were distracted by Asuka, who grasped his arm, hooking it and leaned on his shoulder. She probably clashed with Zafira and lost...

"Now then... please follow me!"

Snap!

The moment she snapped her fingertips, the dark walls suddenly started sparkling with a beautiful crimson sparkle. Leonhardt knew this wasn't natural because it was just a normal rock in the past.

He wondered if Ifrit's words were more significant than he had imagined.

"This is amazing, but if humans discovered this..." Asuka muttered to herself in a low voice.

"You're right, Lizard!" Zafira snapped back.

Leonhardt was stunned by the transformation of the entire dungeon.

However, he worried about the future.

Would he always have to worry about humans coming and destroying this beautiful place all for greed?

"What are those gems in the walls?"

Zafira's tail slapped the ground, snapping like a whip as she chuckled, clearly happy.

"These are thanks to you, Master! These were normal diamonds... maybe just crystals at first, but thanks to you..." She then covered her mouth and whispered, "And that stupid torchlight woman." Obviously, meaning Ifrit.

'How did it happen?'

[Well... it's because our bond became so strong through that oath...]

'I see...'

"So these gem's are worth a lot of money?"

Nyxara's eyes shone with gold coins as she touched the walls, earning a slap from Zafira's wings.

"Hands off!"

"You're no fun..."

She muttered to herself as Nyxara slipped behind Asuka and took Leonhardt's other arm, gazing at the elf in his arms still pretending to sleep.

"Ignore her Zafira continue with the guide."

"Ah... yes!"

She then pointed toward a passage with goblins moving back and forth with pickaxes and crates.

"That's the emberstone mine, can you see how the black stones sparkle with a slight red hue." Zafira's voice sounded excited as she breathed heavier, snorting. "These are the stones used for the village and citadel!"

Leonhardt was surprised to learn that his private bond with Ifrit could create such a treasure. It also made him wonder what would happen if the bond became stronger.

[Ahh...! W-what perverted things are you thinking about?!]