Reincarnated as a Dungeon Master, I Became Unstoppable by Doting on My Monsters—My Gorgeous Monsters Have Started to Conquer the World on Their Own! - Chapter 61: For World Peace

As my consciousness gradually awakened, I observed Trana and the Core Room unchanged. It seemed as if time had stopped.

Trana frowned, her eyes carrying a mix of mourning and disdain, similar to how one might look at the carcass of an animal hit by a car.

“Are you okay?”

She asked, concerned for me, who had just lost consciousness.

“Ah, I just spoke with Goddess Nanaya, and it seems the world can’t be saved without me. So, if that’s the case, I should probably defeat you, Trana-san.”

After all, it seems her method wouldn’t realize world peace, and Jacqueline expressed a desire to escape the voice of her lower half.

Therefore, there was no point in indulging in the ghost named Trana.

But naturally, Trana herself wouldn’t accept this. She snorted in derision.

“Have you been taken over by a charm spell? Maybe if I hit you, you’ll return to normal.”

Then, for the first time, she looked at me with the eyes of an enemy.

───This must be her idea of being a hero of justice. It seemed pointless to exchange words anymore.

We both assumed combat stances. Trana, possibly planning to use her super-fast tackle, took a crouching start while I stepped back, preparing to counter.

She didn’t know what my protection was. But her status, having poured most of the DP from the monsters in the “Great Tower of Nadinalezre” into herself, was powerful enough to scatter any ordinary protection easily.

It was only natural for her to opt for physical combat.

Trana, maintaining her crouching start, raised her buttocks and was about to make her move───

And then, she dramatically stumbled and fell.

Her face hit the ground hard enough to worry anyone, and her mask flew off.

“Ouch!”

She cried out loudly, immediately rubbing her cheek. Then, she seemed to realize something was off. It was strange for her to be hurt by just a fall.

“Why am I bruised from a fall? I’m…”

She sat down in astonishment, blinking rapidly. Perhaps due to Jacqueline’s intelligence, she quickly realized what was happening.

“Nullification of status enhancement?”

She muttered, then glared at me sharply as if accusing me of cheating. But nullification was only half correct.

This was not a protection like those worn by treasure hunters for battle. It was a genuine curse from the Goddess Nanaya.

“Maybe it’s a protection that creates a room abandoned by all gods.”

I received several protections that day at the temple, but the strangest was this one from Goddess Nanaya. She was excited about it, a protection that only I could receive.

───In this world, all skills are borrowed from the gods. So, all skills are unusable at this moment, making this environment the same as Earth.

It felt odd to come to another world only to engage in a fistfight, but that was the nature of this protection.

Besides, Goddess Nanaya’s protection wasn’t meant for battle. Realizing her intention, Trana looked at me in shock.

“You’re insane.”

Indeed. Using this protection meant that combat would always be a life-and-death struggle.

Trana quickly tried to activate Deniva’s Cup of Celebration, but spatial magic didn’t work, and she couldn’t even hold it. Though even if she could, it probably wouldn’t activate.

“So, shall we start fighting now?”

I asked Trana, trying to sound as polite as possible since she was on the ground.

After a moment of contemplation, she replied with a smile,

“Okay, let’s do that.”

But I no longer assumed a fighting stance.

Her status had dropped, and she clumsily ran towards me with legs unused for about 200 years, lightly slapping my chest.

I grabbed her hand and pinned her to the ground. Even with my physical abilities reverted to my previous life, I had enough strength to hold down the frail Trana.

She writhed for a while, but realizing the futility, she turned her head towards me with a pained expression.

“Hey, I know I can’t win, so can you just kill me quickly? We can’t leave the boss room unless one of us dies.”

She said so casually. She must have accepted the fight to make it easier for me to kill her, knowing my protection’s ability.

But why must I kill such a kind woman?

“That’s enough. We aren’t enemies who should be fighting to the death. We both want to improve this world. Can you please help me open the door of the boss room?”

I released her and walked leisurely to the heavy stone door. It was just a stone door, but surprisingly rich.

With a puzzled look, Trana slowly walked over and helped me with the other door.

“On the count of three.”

We pushed together, and the door slowly moved. In this dungeon, abandoned by the gods, there were no mysterious doors that wouldn’t open without death.

“It’s absurd that we, both wishing for world peace, fight each other. Let’s quietly break such rules.”

XXX

I’ve always wondered why Goddess Nanaya so thoroughly explained the circumstances of the gods on the day she bestowed me with protection at the temple. It was about contracts between gods, but there must have been more secretive methods.

I think Goddess Nanaya intended to teach me the “weaknesses of gods.”

This protection hides from the eyes of gods, the self-growing dungeon system, and her pity for the existence of monsters.

If all these originated from Goddess Nanaya, she’s urging me to defy the gods and the system where monsters and humans continue to kill each other. Thinking back, Goddess Nanaya left many hints.

With this power, I might be able to end the foolish puppet play of Dungeon Masters’ proxy wars without bloodshed.

And Jacqueline would be the first step. Although, it feels like too much blood has been spilled already.

───When we opened the door, Ryuujo was waiting nearby. He seemed more surprised by Trana’s appearance than when we came out together.

“Trana?”

“Yeah. Long time no see, Ryu.”

However, Ryuujou’s expression, briefly youthful upon seeing Trana, returned to normal as soon as he heard her words. He must have realized she was different.

Feeling uncomfortable from listening to their previous life’s story, I decided to step in.

“It seems like Jacqueline has a split personality.”

Ryuujou muttered, “I see,” and turned towards Trana.

“Tell me. Why didn’t you abandon us and run away on the day that shabby hut was attacked?”

He asked seriously.

…Wait, is a split personality okay? Were you listening?

I wondered if Ryuujou had this in mind when he spoke of revival.

Trana puffed out her chest proudly in response to his question.

“Of course! My family was more important than world peace.”

Hearing this, Ryuujou looked surprised and then spoke with a clear, fatherly gaze.

“I see. You are not Trana Spoonbender, after all.”

It seemed that was not the answer Ryuujou was expecting from his Trana.

XXX

“Have you woken up?”

Jacqueline, sitting in a wheelchair, slowly raised her head, looking somewhat lazy.

“Yes, I’ve seen everything. You lost, Trana-san.”

“Ah, so you’re still not aware that you have dissociative identity disorder?”

“No, until now, Trana’s personality only spoke to me, but I realized it immediately when I relinquished control of this body to her. There’s no memory of anything else, so it was clear that Trana was a fiction I created.”

Jacqueline spread her hands in a resigned gesture. Indeed, her casual yet polite demeanor was the most comforting.

“So, are you cured now?”

“Well, it seems I still have a compulsion. I can’t heal my legs unless I become Trana. I wonder why.”

Saying this, she showed her aged legs visible under her torn long skirt.

But well, if she can heal anytime, it’s as good as cured. Or maybe it’s just that she doesn’t want to let go of the real Trana’s legs.

“What happened to Ryuujou-sama after being told ‘You are not Trana’?”

Jacqueline asked.

After that conversation, Ryuujou fell silent, perhaps satisfied with the Trana within him. I explained Goddess Nanaya’s plan, but he said, “I am now a dungeon monster of Jacqueline,” showing no intention of revealing his will.

Later, Trana also said, “I’m going to sleep now, take care of Jacqueline for me,” and truly fell asleep. I decided not to wake her, as it might be dangerous in her condition, so I waited until Jacqueline woke up.

“He said he would follow Jacqueline-san.”

“Is that so?”

Jacqueline let out a big sigh.

“So, what will you do now?”

I had to clarify because Goddess Nanaya’s secrecy made it confusing, but it seems we will strive to end the predestined battles and servitude to gods in this world.

We will continue dungeon conquests, but I guess we’ll start dabbling in politics in the real world.

Jacqueline seemed lost in thought, not ready to answer. But I knew she had clear intentions, so I encouraged her.

“By the way, I don’t think anyone is angry about your betrayal.”

“Really?”

“Really. Though, they might ask you to cut back on drinking.”

Jacqueline let out another sigh at my words.

“I no longer fear for my life or feel burdened by my lower half, but I’ve only ever acted to survive. I don’t know what to do now.”

It seemed like a unique problem for Jacqueline, who had lived solely to preserve her life, but it was a common dilemma of not knowing what one wants.

But I could advise her on this, having struggled with it in my previous life.

“Do you remember the previous contract?”

“Yes. After defeating Ryuujou, I would contract with you and regain my legs.”

“What would you do after our conversation with Goddess Nanaya if you hadn’t accompanied us?”

“Huh?”

“Didn’t you have something you wanted to do after you no longer faced death, Jacqueline-san?”

“Ah…”

After pondering for a while, looking upwards, she said,

“I didn’t think resolving my legs, atonement, or Trana’s voice would solve everything, so I was only thinking about the next conflict. I never expected everything to be resolved at once.”

It seemed I had to initiate the conversation.

“If you have no specific plans, why don’t you come to my place? I think we’ll be working on reforming the world.”

Jacqueline hesitated at my invitation, but her lips slightly curved into a smile.

“Well, I do have my room at your place. I guess I have no choice. Shall I become a dungeon monster for Wito-san?”

“No, no, you don’t have to

 Be my monster. Being allied dungeons is fine.”

“I’ve always admired the lifestyle of Nanaya’s priestesses, doing radio exercises, studying, and occasionally going outside. And I probably can’t become friends with them without properly contracting as a dungeon monster.”

I hadn’t expected to form a new dungeon monster contract, but if it’s for befriending my disciples, I guess it’s unavoidable.

“…You can always say if you want to cancel the contract.”

“Sure.”

I activated the “Contract Magic,” sending a blue thread of light, which she caught on the back of her hand.

+++

Jacqueline Spoonbender has become a dungeon monster.

+++

The contract was complete. Jacqueline, who had always acted to preserve her life, was now entrusting it to me.

“Hehehe.”

Her chuckling laughter caught my attention, and I looked up at her.

“What’s the matter?”

“Oh, nothing. Just amused thinking about what lies ahead. After a good rest, I want to learn painting from Anima-san and poetry. I hear Ange-san is knowledgeable about it.”

Seeing her smile, I felt reassured that I was protecting something precious, peace and the future, and I committed her smile to memory.