Dungeon? This Tree? Why Don't You Join Me for Lunch? (Dungeon Core)
Chapter 36: The truth

Chapter 36: Chapter 36: The truth

Solas pointed at the map under my feet, but there was something wrong with it. Now, I was not very good at reading maps, but the sign for a city was universal.

And there were none of those to be seen in the Necromantic Union territory.

"Solas... is your map old?" Maybe I shouldn’t have started off with something silly, but I could not explain it to myself any other way. Either the map was old or not updated in the last couple of hours.

You know, while there were still cities in the largest empire in the world.

"Sylvan, you don’t know much about the Necromantic Union, do you?" Solas placed a hand on my shoulder, then patted it. "The map is updated. You must be wondering where the cities, towns and villages are?"

I nodded.

"There are none," Solas even held his breath for dramatic effect. I could see that he only leaned in so the light of the small candle in my hand can cast his face in light and shadow.

Oh, that git!

"And you tell me that now?" I slapped his condescending hand away. Did not want any of the comfort he offered me.

I had Aron for that.

Besides, Doran was certainly going to kill me, if he saw Solas making moves on me. The man really took the whole marrying the Evil King to ruin his life thing seriously.

"Well, to be fair, you were simply the camp cook," Solas explained, as he pointed at something that looked like a hill. "Now concentrate. We are here."

I blinked.

"But if we are on the hill, why didn’t I notice us climbing on top of it?" I asked him. He started looking between me and the map.

"Sylvan?" He asked, as he took out an old booklet from a bedside table. "Now, I don’t want you to take this the wrong way..."

I started to edge away from him. Was he going to force me to marry me? Was this booklet actually our marriage contract? Hell no!

"Sylvan! You can’t even read the map! Quit it, I won’t do anything to you!" Solas finally said. There were begging notes to his voice.

I sat my ass back down. He handed me the booklet.

"It used to be mine. I learned with it. All of my notes are still inside. They should be... helpful, I guess," he scratched himself behind the head. "It is just that there is no way to get you a brand new one. I mean, I can’t risk the life of the messenger."

I opened the booklet, trying to ignore the fact that Solas had just said he can’t risk a life. Soon, I found the picture of the hill.

But it was no hill!

"Solas, we have to run!" It was a Mammoth Graveyard! And where there were Mammoths buried, there were giants! Because Mammoth cheese was the only cheese a giant ate.

And, darn, did giants love cheese?

Hm, cheese. I feel like eating something cheesy. I think we managed to steal some potatoes from Alexios last week. And we still had salt.

And cheese that has gotten a tab bit moldy, but we could just cut off the moldy parts.

And I can cook the moldy parts into something that can kill off the entire vampire population of this empire!

Because cheese is always to die for!

"Sylvan? Where did you run off to? Sylvan!" Solas was snapping his fingers before my face. I sighed.

"Sorry," I told him, my breathing a bit more even.

"What happened? For a second, you were paying attention, and then you spaced out," he actually sounded so, as if he really wanted to know.

Which for Solas was a 50-50 thing.

There was always the chance that he could use the knowledge against you, or to help you with it. But, hey, what could he possibly use from my daydreaming about cheese?

"You see," I said, as I took in a deep breath. "I am thinking of enslaving the vampire population of this land with my special cheesy mashed potatoes!"

Then I remembered something. I needed cream for that! And we had none!

"Solas, do you think that the giants left some Mammoth cream in that graveyard? You know, as an offering for the dead?" The idea had merit. I mean, sure, I won’t be able to eat any of that cheesy goodness, but that did not mean that the vampires wouldn’t get enslaved.

It was a win-win!

"Yes, I guess. But, Sylvan, they broke free. They’ll do it again," he sighed, for I could see it in his eyes that the appeal for a vampire army was there.

I could make it happen. But I needed to get to know my strength. And there was only one being who could help me with that.

"Solas, can you give me a minute? I’ll speak with my system," I didn’t want for him to be in my face, snapping his fingers. The witch’s mana which was coming out of his chest did not sit well with me.

More than one witch had tried to kill Methuselah. I didn’t like them on principle.

"Sure, go ahead," he looked down at the map, took a pencil, and began to write some scribbles. I blinked seconds later.

Those weren’t scribbles! Those were runes! He was planning a raid!

"Edda, we need to talk," I paid extra mana to have her communicate with me by speech, and not by text. "I need to upgrade my cooking skills. I need to be able to enslave vampires permanently! Can you make it happen?"

Now, I knew that Edda didn’t like me much. Or at all. I was, after all, a peaceful dungeon.

A System’s worst nightmare.

But I hoped that my desire and effort to enslave, and thus harm living... wait, no, vampires aren’t living being. I mean, beings, was going to be appreciated.

I saw her write me a text. I held my breath, wishing that she could forgive me for my first choice of a skill.

Only to curse up a storm later.

"You need to grind," was her simple message.

And that meant... sitting by the campfire, cooking all day long...

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