"Master, this person gives off a dangerous scent."
"I see, I understand."
I was sweating profusely.
I had been killed by the vampire Judite multiple times.
She was incredibly aggressive.
But as long as I didn't make a wrong move in dealing with her, it should be fine, as proven by the other timeline's me.
"Nice to meet you, the great True Ancestor vampire, Judite-sama."
Saying that, I bowed respectfully.
"Oh my, it seems you have at least some manners. May I assume that much?"
Saying that, she narrowed her eyes.
I think I managed to make a good impression.
"So, what exactly are you doing here?"
"I'm trying to conquer this dungeon."
"And what is that thing you're holding in your hand?"
"It's the Parasitic Sword Puppeteer."
"Hmm, it seems like you're carrying quite a dangerous item, isn't it?"
Saying that, she displayed a belligerent look and drew a blade from her wrist.
This isn't good.
It looks like we might have to fight.
I'd rather not fight her if possible.
"Please wait. I control the Parasitic Sword Puppeteer like this, so it won't randomly attack you. Please, just overlook this. I think it's best for both of us if we can avoid fighting."
I desperately tried to persuade her. I hoped she would understand with this.
"Control the Puppeteer? It's not easy to believe."
"But… having it in this form as a sword is proof that I can control it, I think."
"Well, I'll admit that your behavior is different from the adventurers who have been possessed by the Parasitic Sword Puppeteer before."
She placed her hand on her chin and appeared to be thinking. After careful consideration, she said:
"Very well. I'll let it slide this time."
I let out a sigh of relief. I was genuinely glad that we didn't have to fight.
As the vampire Judite moved aside to clear the path, I passed by her. At that moment, something unexpected happened.
"That woman is acting quite high and mighty. She must have a terrible personality for sure."
The Puppeteer spoke, loudly enough for Judite to hear, and made a disrespectful comment.
"Are you kidding me!?"
As soon as I said that, something flew towards us.
Klank! I intercepted the flying object with my sword. It was a knife made of blood.
"Oh, she's really mad, isn't she?"
The Puppeteer laughed, and his taunting escalated.
"That's quite an impolite sword you have."
The vampire Judite showed her fangs. It seemed she was genuinely angry.
"I'm so sorry!"
I shouted as I ran away.
◆
"Hah… hah… hah… hah…"
Having successfully shaken off the vampire Judite, I was catching my breath.
"That was fun, wasn't it?" The Puppeteer seemed to be enjoying itself.
"You, on the other hand…" I sighed, feeling exasperated. I was relieved I managed to escape, but I couldn't help but think about what would have happened if we'd fought.
"Is it because you're angry?" the Puppeteer asked.
"A little," I admitted.
"Why? Even if a vampire picks a fight, if my master and I joined forces, we could easily take her down."
The Puppeteer said this confidently, but I was still a bit curious about who would be stronger, me or the vampire Judite. Well, even if I had the confidence to win, I didn't want to fight her.
"Even if that's the case, I just don't want to fight her."
"Why's that?"
"Why? Well…" I hesitated, unable to provide a clear answer. I couldn't say it was because I had a good relationship with her in a different timeline.
"Maybe she's just your type," the Puppeteer teased.
"N-No, it's not like that."
"You're totally blushing right now, aren't you?"
"I'm not blushing!"
"Haha, teasing master is so much fun."
"Don't tease your own master too much."
"Well, I'll think about it."
While exchanging such banter, we continued our journey deeper into the dungeon.
◆
"I'm pretty sure it's around here…"
"What are you looking for, Master?"
"There should be a hidden room somewhere around here."
"What's inside the hidden room?"
"It contains an item called the 'Crystal of Wisdom,' which grants a skill."
"You're amazing for knowing about a hidden room that has such an item, Master!"
"That's right. You should respect me more."
"Amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing. Are you satisfied now?"
"You definitely don't mean it from the bottom of your heart."
The 'Crystal of Wisdom' grants the 'Attribute Bestowal' skill, although I'm not entirely clear on how to use it. Nevertheless, it's worth having.
Oh, here's the hidden switch. When I press the switch, it reveals a passage leading to the hidden room. I step inside and find a room with a chest in the center.
▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽
You have obtained the "Crystal of Wisdom." The effect is activated automatically.
△△△△△△△△△△△△△△△
A message appeared that I had seen before.
"Huh…?"
I was surprised for a reason.
The skill I had obtained was not "Attribute Bestowal."