Reverse Dungeon

Unaware of Ian’s inner thoughts, the elf burst into bright, carefree laughter.

“You know, you’re a really fascinating person. I’ve never met anyone quite like you before.”

‘This really has to be a bug.’

Ian silently decided that if he were ever reborn, he’d become a game developer.

If a broken mess like this could become a successful game, then surely he could make one too.

A hundred times better, even.

He’d make a fortune, buy out this garbage company, and personally fix every ridiculous bug himself—

While Ian was seriously reconsidering his future career path, the elf stared at him with sparkling curiosity.

“Don’t you know despair? Have you never wanted to give up on something?”

‘Says the man who refuses to give up on becoming a merchant.’

Unlike Ian, who knew how to distinguish between what was possible and impossible, this elf seemed utterly incapable of surrender.

“Why are you so interested in me anyway?” Ian asked suspiciously. “Are you trying to join my party?”

Even if the affection system was bugged, the numerical values themselves should still mean something, right?

Ian desperately wanted to believe the glitched affection level might somehow work in his favor.

“That would be difficult.”

“Hey, you’re not even a recruitable character. What exactly is the problem?”

“Ahaha!”

The elf laughed again.

‘You’re laughing?’

Ian immediately felt irritation flare inside him.

“So you really are that interested in me?” the elf teased. “You want me that badly?”

‘Did you actually listen to a single word I said?’

Clearly, the elf hadn’t just been hearing things with his ears.

Ian’s annoyance deepened.

“How many times do I have to repeat myself? Yes, I treat you well. Go travel the continent and compare. Nobody else will treat you this nicely, so think it over.”

There probably was someone out there who would.

Ian just didn’t happen to know them.

“So,” the elf asked lightly, “do you want to marry me?”

“......?”

For a moment, Ian genuinely couldn’t process what he’d just heard.

Judging by the silence beside him, Keith seemed equally stunned.

Rain continued to drift softly from the clouds overhead, and a sudden gust of wind swept through the desert.

The elf pulled his robe tighter beneath his chin.

His small face disappeared partially beneath the hood, crimson eyes glittering as he looked straight at Ian.

“I’m a very conservative elf,” he said solemnly. “I don’t place expectations on people casually. Marriage is a lifelong promise. Especially with humans, whose lives pass so quickly. This is a very serious decision for me, so I hope you’ll think carefully about it.”

‘This guy seriously sounds haunted by the ghost of someone who died unmarried.’

“No, I think I’m good—”

Ian started to refuse, then paused.

Think carefully?

...Could this be some kind of government-sponsored marriage campaign event from the game company? But if that were the case, wouldn’t it only make players avoid marriage even harder?

No, probably not.

Which meant there was only one possible interpretation left.

“Is marriage some kind of alternate term for a subordinate contract?” Ian asked seriously.

“Marriage means marriage.”

‘There’s a marriage system in the game?’

The kind where both parties shared buffs?

For one dangerous second, Ian nearly answered, ‘Sure, let’s do it.’

Then Keith grabbed his forearm.

“...Lord Ian.”

His expression was unusually severe.

‘Ah. Right. Maybe God’s messengers can’t marry.’

Priests and holy knights generally took vows of chastity.

Naturally, the messenger of God might have similar restrictions.

Trading Keith for some mysterious elf absolutely wasn’t worth it.

And for some reason...

Ian felt strangely irritated.

Keith was staring at him far too intensely.

“No,” Ian answered at last. “I’ll pass.”

“Really?” The elf looked genuinely shocked. “You don’t want to marry me?”

“You don’t make lifelong promises that casually. We barely know each other. A loyalty oath maybe, but marriage is—”

“But wouldn’t a loyalty oath also last for life?” the elf asked innocently.

“Anyway,” Ian cut him off, “I already have too many responsibilities to think about marriage right now.”

“That’s honestly disappointing. Really.” The elf sighed dramatically. “This is the first time I’ve ever felt this excited.”

“Yeah. I’m disappointed too.”

Very disappointed.

Ian had a strong feeling that the marriage option might actually have been the hidden condition required to secure this elf.

In everyday life, Ian wasn’t especially perceptive.

As a gamer, however, his instincts were razor-sharp.

“So are you going to marry Keith instead?”

“Enough with the nonsense... actually, if you’re going to keep talking like this, why not just come settle in the dungeon already? Stay there.”

Even while rejecting him, Ian instinctively softened his tone.

Losing a potential five-star character still hurt.

‘Besides, maybe he’d at least function like an allied unit. He’s a wandering merchant, so he’d probably keep showing up to sell things.’

The elf pursed his lips, then slowly shrugged.

“Ah. I see.” He smiled faintly. “Then I suppose this is goodbye. That’s a real shame.”

Ian almost brought up the loyalty oath again, but Keith’s unusual silence kept bothering him.

Normally he would already be lecturing someone about purity and devotion to God.

‘Why is he acting so strange today?’

Ian kept his attention fixed firmly on the elf, resisting the growing urge to look toward Keith.

“Farewell,” the elf said warmly. “I hope we meet again someday. And I sincerely wish that everything you desire comes true.”

Ian smiled back despite himself.

‘You take care too...’

“Yeah. You too.”

Oddly enough, he found himself genuinely worried about the elf’s future as a merchant.

The elf’s camel slowly disappeared toward the northwest—the opposite direction from Ian’s dungeon.

“Let’s go,” Ian said quietly to Keith.

It was finally time to head back.

The journey had been long. They’d gained a lot, but there was probably even more work waiting for them at the dungeon.

Ian reached for the saddle—

Then Keith suddenly stepped closer.

Before Ian could react, he found himself trapped between Keith’s arms and the camel’s side.

Keith’s body shielded him completely from the rain, wrapping him in sudden warmth and silence.

Then Keith lowered his head and pressed his lips against Ian’s.

“......!”

The kiss lasted only a moment.

Yet it was long enough for Ian to feel the tremor in Keith’s breath.

Long enough to feel the heartbeat beneath it.

Ian’s lashes trembled.

For an instant he froze, wavering helplessly before finally closing his eyes.

Keith’s eyes had already been closed from the beginning.

Ian could feel his breath.

Warm.

To Ian, that single second stretched endlessly.

Cold droplets slid from Keith’s rain-soaked hair and landed against Ian’s nose.

The chill shocked him back to himself.

His shoulders twitched slightly, and Keith seemed to notice too.

As though sealing something in place, Keith pressed their lips together one final time before finally pulling away.

“Shall we go?”

His voice sounded perfectly calm.

As if he hadn’t just done something utterly insane.

Keith handed him the reins.

“Uh...”

Ian accepted them numbly.

Their fingers brushed.

As Ian instinctively started to pull away, Keith suddenly caught his wrist.

He lifted Ian’s hand carefully, examining the chipped nails and dried blood.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?”

Why indeed?

Ian honestly didn’t know.

Keith had looked so overwhelmingly relieved just to confirm Ian was safe that saying, ‘By the way, I chipped a nail,’ had somehow felt absurdly trivial.

Soft healing light gathered around his hand.

Warmth spread through his skin, soothing the damaged flesh and restoring the broken nails perfectly.

“How did you even notice?”

“You weren’t using your left hand while eating.”

“......?”

“You’re right-handed.”

That alone was enough for him to notice?

“You...” Ian muttered quietly. “You really pay attention to me.”

Keith tilted his head slightly.

“Yes.”

His answer came without hesitation.

Completely matter-of-fact.

Keith gently brushed his thumb across Ian’s newly healed hand. Those blue eyes remained fixed on him.

“Because I am your protector.”

Ian had no response to that.

Eventually, they mounted their camels once more and continued through the rain-soaked desert.

The falling rain was cool and gentle, washing away the desert heat like music.

Its steady rhythm seemed to echo alongside their heartbeats.

The drizzle continued far too long.

Long enough for those rhythms to begin blending together.

Ian stared down at his healed hand for a while.

Then, slowly, he touched his fingers to his lips.

What... was that?

The temperature-regulating cape kept his body perfectly protected from both heat and cold. Its waterproof enchantment meant there was no reason for him to feel damp.

And yet warmth continued to circulate restlessly inside him.

It irritated him.

The sensation scratched uncomfortably at his chest.

Ian rubbed at it absentmindedly, only to realize his throat had gone strangely dry.

His chest felt tight.

His insides itched.

He almost felt like sneezing.

And through all of it, his attention kept drifting backward.

It felt like his eyes had somehow moved to the back of his head.

Keith’s presence behind him felt unbearably vivid.

Keith had always followed behind him.

So why did he suddenly feel so aware of it now?

What was that?

The desert rain continued for another week.