In the dim alley, two Hamsters were muttering excitedly while a third Hamster took watch at the T-junction for any intruders.
The two Hamsters started a fire, then they threw a tiny amount of black powder into the flames. The Big Boss Hamster muttered, “We have to succeed. This is the last bit…”
The flames turned azure with the prayers of the Big Boss.
“Ah—!”
After seeing the flames turn azure, Big Boss and Second Boss screamed out like Groundhogs.
Fat Otaku, who was taking watch at the junction, came over. The three Hamsters opened their eyes widely and stared at the azure flames.
A Devil’s figure appeared from the flames, and a fuzzy female voice asked, “Why did you contact me so late? Where’s Sherlock?”
The three Hamsters shouted excitedly.
“Lady! We found Lord Sherlock’s trail!”
“At Winterfell!”
“I’m hungry, Lady!”
The three black white Hamsters finished speaking in one breath.
The azure figure said, “Didn’t you report Sherlock’s presence in Winterfell the last time?”
The three Hamsters looked astonishedly at each other before speaking.
“Lady, are you sick?”
“Lady, this is our first time contacting you!”
“Lady, have you eaten too much?”
Big Boss and Second Boss slapped Fat Otaku. Then Big Boss berated, “How can you say that? Why would Lady overeat? You’re the one who always overeats!”
“Stop fooling around,” the figure in the flame replied, and the three Hamsters became quiet. Then they looked at the figure who said, “You must have seen Sherlock. Think, where was that?”
The three Hamsters responded immediately.
“Impossible! We were in prison!”
“We were almost put to death! It wasn’t easy for us to escape!”
“We got to have a good meal.”
Big Boss and Second Boss looked at Fat Otaku, who immediately shouted, “I didn’t eat! Though I would like to!”
“Check your back skull,” the figure in the flame said calmly.
The three Hamsters lifted their fur and checked each other. Then they licked their claws and continued checking.
“Don’t groom each other! See if there are traces of Mana!” the figure in the flames shouted in rage.
The three Hamsters were dumbstruck. They started checking.
On their back skulls were two traces of Mana.
“When were you affected by the Mana?”
“It’s traces of Lord Sherlock’s Mana!”
“I ate Lord Sherlock’s food?”
As the three Hamsters were in doubt, the blue flames increased in height, and the figure became taller. She looked down at the three Hamsters while the three Hamsters lifted their heads silently. Then she said, “Seems like you had met Sherlock.”
“Lady…” The Big Boss Hamster pondered for a while and said, “According to our investigation, Lord Sherlock bought a Dungeon near Winterfell and became a Dungeon Lord.”
The blue flames abruptly extinguished.
Big Boss was dumbfounded. Second Boss patted Big Boss and said, “I’ve told you not to say it. Wait for us to confirm before telling her.”
Fat Otaku walked over and patted Big Boss’ shoulder as he said, “Can we go for our meal?”
When Sherlock brought Evelynn back to Eternal Kingdom, he saw a group of gamers carrying wood and waiting outside the Carpenter Workshop.
A few gamers carried processed wooden planks from the workshop. Mufasa’s wood processing business had begun.
Two big cauldrons were placed outside the Carpenter Workshop. The first one was given as a gift when the workshop was built, while the second one was carried back from Area No. 10—it was used to give Eggface a bath.
Both cauldrons were lit with fire, and tens of Gnomes were at the sides, adding clay and stirring the cauldrons.
The gamers saw that Sherlock and Evelynn had returned. They ran over as they chatted noisily, but only a few gamers surrounded them.
“Lord Sherlock, thank you for taking me to Winterfell. I’m very happy. If I wasn’t wanted, I would be able to walk openly with Lord Sherlock in Winterfell…” Evelynn said with regret.
“After the war ends, I’ll try to get your arrest warrant dismissed. It wasn’t a serious crime anyway,” Sherlock said.
“Really? Thank you, Lord Sherlock!” Evelynn was almost moved to tears.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.” Sherlock waved his hand and walked towards the Dungeon Lord Main Hall.
“Lord Sherlock, is your conscience pricking you? It wasn’t easy for you to entrap your good brother, I mean, sister, and you’re letting her go? After the war, are you really going to help her get the arrest warrant dismissed? Should I ask… is the arrest warrant a lie?” Bru asked as Sherlock returned to the Dungeon Lord Main Hall.
“No, I didn’t lie to her.” Sherlock sat down and activated the computer.
“There was really an arrest warrant for Evelynn. The reason why I wanted to help her is that I understood why the other bosses wanted to fire her.”
“Besides being a white elephant, her capability is suspect,” Bru said thoughtfully. “With her character and capability, it’s indeed a headache to bosses. But providing her with food and lodging in exchange for her labor might also be a good idea. Why doesn’t Lord Sherlock reconsider?”
“It’s not necessary. Our supply of clay isn’t sufficient for everyone. Eggface can take over the Auction Manager post. And…” Sherlock became silent. Then he waved his hand and said, “Forget it, it’s nothing important.”
“Lord Sherlock, why aren’t you telling me? I’m your most loyal servant! Can it be that Evelynn has a special trait? Or is a mole sent by your enemy?” Bru said with agitation.
“Why do you always have strange ideas?” Door knocks were heard coming from outside.
“Please enter,” Sherlock shouted, and Yoda walked in.
“Lord Sherlock, with regards to the decadence in the Dungeon, do you have any leads?” Yoda asked nervously.
“No, I don’t have any leads.” Sherlock propped up his hand and asked, “What happened?”
In the dim alley, two Hamsters were muttering excitedly while a third Hamster took watch at the T-junction for any intruders.
The two Hamsters started a fire, then they threw a tiny amount of black powder into the flames. The Big Boss Hamster muttered, “We have to succeed. This is the last bit…”
The flames turned azure with the prayers of the Big Boss.
“Ah—!”
After seeing the flames turn azure, Big Boss and Second Boss screamed out like Groundhogs.
Fat Otaku, who was taking watch at the junction, came over. The three Hamsters opened their eyes widely and stared at the azure flames.
A Devil’s figure appeared from the flames, and a fuzzy female voice asked, “Why did you contact me so late? Where’s Sherlock?”
The three Hamsters shouted excitedly.
“Lady! We found Lord Sherlock’s trail!”
“At Winterfell!”
“I’m hungry, Lady!”
The three black white Hamsters finished speaking in one breath.
The azure figure said, “Didn’t you report Sherlock’s presence in Winterfell the last time?”
The three Hamsters looked astonishedly at each other before speaking.
“Lady, are you sick?”
“Lady, this is our first time contacting you!”
“Lady, have you eaten too much?”
Big Boss and Second Boss slapped Fat Otaku. Then Big Boss berated, “How can you say that? Why would Lady overeat? You’re the one who always overeats!”
“Stop fooling around,” the figure in the flame replied, and the three Hamsters became quiet. Then they looked at the figure who said, “You must have seen Sherlock. Think, where was that?”
The three Hamsters responded immediately.
“Impossible! We were in prison!”
“We were almost put to death! It wasn’t easy for us to escape!”
“We got to have a good meal.”
Big Boss and Second Boss looked at Fat Otaku, who immediately shouted, “I didn’t eat! Though I would like to!”
“Check your back skull,” the figure in the flame said calmly.
The three Hamsters lifted their fur and checked each other. Then they licked their claws and continued checking.
“Don’t groom each other! See if there are traces of Mana!” the figure in the flames shouted in rage.
The three Hamsters were dumbstruck. They started checking.
On their back skulls were two traces of Mana.
“When were you affected by the Mana?”
“It’s traces of Lord Sherlock’s Mana!”
“I ate Lord Sherlock’s food?”
As the three Hamsters were in doubt, the blue flames increased in height, and the figure became taller. She looked down at the three Hamsters while the three Hamsters lifted their heads silently. Then she said, “Seems like you had met Sherlock.”
“Lady…” The Big Boss Hamster pondered for a while and said, “According to our investigation, Lord Sherlock bought a Dungeon near Winterfell and became a Dungeon Lord.”
The blue flames abruptly extinguished.
Big Boss was dumbfounded. Second Boss patted Big Boss and said, “I’ve told you not to say it. Wait for us to confirm before telling her.”
Fat Otaku walked over and patted Big Boss’ shoulder as he said, “Can we go for our meal?”
When Sherlock brought Evelynn back to Eternal Kingdom, he saw a group of gamers carrying wood and waiting outside the Carpenter Workshop.
A few gamers carried processed wooden planks from the workshop. Mufasa’s wood processing business had begun.
Two big cauldrons were placed outside the Carpenter Workshop. The first one was given as a gift when the workshop was built, while the second one was carried back from Area No. 10—it was used to give Eggface a bath.
Both cauldrons were lit with fire, and tens of Gnomes were at the sides, adding clay and stirring the cauldrons.
The gamers saw that Sherlock and Evelynn had returned. They ran over as they chatted noisily, but only a few gamers surrounded them.
“Lord Sherlock, thank you for taking me to Winterfell. I’m very happy. If I wasn’t wanted, I would be able to walk openly with Lord Sherlock in Winterfell…” Evelynn said with regret.
“After the war ends, I’ll try to get your arrest warrant dismissed. It wasn’t a serious crime anyway,” Sherlock said.
“Really? Thank you, Lord Sherlock!” Evelynn was almost moved to tears.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.” Sherlock waved his hand and walked towards the Dungeon Lord Main Hall.
“Lord Sherlock, is your conscience pricking you? It wasn’t easy for you to entrap your good brother, I mean, sister, and you’re letting her go? After the war, are you really going to help her get the arrest warrant dismissed? Should I ask… is the arrest warrant a lie?” Bru asked as Sherlock returned to the Dungeon Lord Main Hall.
“No, I didn’t lie to her.” Sherlock sat down and activated the computer.
“There was really an arrest warrant for Evelynn. The reason why I wanted to help her is that I understood why the other bosses wanted to fire her.”
“Besides being a white elephant, her capability is suspect,” Bru said thoughtfully. “With her character and capability, it’s indeed a headache to bosses. But providing her with food and lodging in exchange for her labor might also be a good idea. Why doesn’t Lord Sherlock reconsider?”
“It’s not necessary. Our supply of clay isn’t sufficient for everyone. Eggface can take over the Auction Manager post. And…” Sherlock became silent. Then he waved his hand and said, “Forget it, it’s nothing important.”
“Lord Sherlock, why aren’t you telling me? I’m your most loyal servant! Can it be that Evelynn has a special trait? Or is a mole sent by your enemy?” Bru said with agitation.
“Why do you always have strange ideas?” Door knocks were heard coming from outside.
“Please enter,” Sherlock shouted, and Yoda walked in.
“Lord Sherlock, with regards to the decadence in the Dungeon, do you have any leads?” Yoda asked nervously.
“No, I don’t have any leads.” Sherlock propped up his hand and asked, “What happened?”
