"Something isn't right here."

Elder Kendric stated as they walked through Thornkeep Sanctuary dungeon. Theodore looked down at his senior. For the investigation he had requested from the council in the village of the dungeon diplomats, they had chosen to dispatch two people to help him. One of them was a slightly older peer of his, Beowulf, who was known for his strength while the other had been a veteran in their field of work, Elder Kendric.

Anyone with the title of 'elder' had to be over a thousand years old and was guaranteed to know what they were doing. Having someone like that assigned to this case was both a relief and stress-provoking at the same time. Theodore was still young and his methods were flawed, so it was no surprise that Elder Kendric felt the need to lecture him a number of times over the last week. Still, he wanted Violet to get the appropriate help that she deserved, so it was a relief to have someone experienced and knowledgeable on board.

Still, it wasn't like experience with other dungeons would prove entirely helpful. Violet's dungeon was quite special and so it was impossible for anyone to truly know what to make of it. Thus, Theodore tried to reassure

"Well, as I've been telling you, Violet is a bit different from most Dungeon Masters. She's a reincarnated Human and has retained her memories of her past life. So, her dungeon reflects that."

Elder Kendric glowered at Theodore as he reprimanded

"Boy! Have you forgotten your training? There is no reason to question how the Dungeon Masters choose to decorate their dungeons. I better not find out you have been giving unsolicited advice either!

The dungeon cores always choose the one they wish to bond to with the utmost care. It isn't our place to then question what sort of dungeon they become. It is only our place to offer guidance and help when it is asked for. Perhaps, in more extreme circumstances, we can help them move on.

However, that's neither here nor there. I was clearly talking about the way the dungeon feels. Don't tell me you can't feel it too!"

Elder Kendric's voice still sounded quite young, despite his age. He was shorter than Theodore, but that was mostly just because they had been born to different parents. Still, the authority and annoyance that the elder spoke with still made everyone who heard him want to stop and listen. Sighing, Theodore did as Elder Kendric was asking.

It was true that the dungeon didn't quite feel right. It was quite similar to the day Theodore had initially formed a contract between David and Violet. There was a bit more hope and optimism in the air than there had been back then, but it was certainly true that the dungeon felt constricting. Still, Violet was often anxious or depressed, so, perhaps, he had merely gotten used to the way the dungeon felt off.

Beowulf shifted the man he was carrying over his shoulder to the other side before asking

"How far do we need to go to reach the dungeon core room exactly? You said this dungeon was still fairly new, but it looks to be two or three floors tall from what I saw from the outside."

Elder Kendric said nothing about the change of topic, not even sparing Beowulf a glance. Instead, he looked to Theodore expectantly.

"When I was here a week ago, there were only two floors. I haven't felt any of the signs of a new floor being created, so it should still be just that much. Violet does have a habit of building a lot faster than most Dungeon Masters, though, so we should have quite a bit of ground to cover."

Theodore said as they arrived at their first obstacle, the slime parkour room. They had already passed through the tribute room, altar room, and garden meadow room. Despite how impressed Theodore thought the other two would be by the dungeon, they had yet to even acknowledge anything. It was, honestly, kind of disappointing. Even if the achievements weren't his own, he couldn't help but want to show off.

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Dungeon diplomats always had a connection to dungeons as well as much stricter laws and regulations than even the dungeon accords accounted for that ensured the dungeons in their care would be well taken care of. However, the connection the assigned Dungeon Diplomat had with the dungeons and their masters was even more special. Theodore couldn't help but feel like a proud parent or even a friend to Violet, even despite how little they had interacted, thus far. He wanted to declare to everyone he talked to just how impressive Violet was, just like a doting parent, and he was also fiercely protective over her, even if his methods were a bit flawed.

Now, Theodore had two other dungeons he was also bonded to, but it wasn't like he felt the same type of connection with all of them. With Master Alexander, the glitch Dungeon Master, he felt more like a social worker or parole officer. There wasn't really the same level of connection, but that worked better for Master Alexander anyhow. He wanted respect and to be left to his own devices, not a friend and confidante. So, Theodore did what was asked of him and nothing more.

Theodore's thoughts were interrupted as Elder Kendric scolded

"Why do you keep referring to her without her title? Perhaps I should suggest to the council that you need to be re-educated."

Theodore rolled his eyes, finishing the trek across the slime parkour room before he responded

"Many of the adventurers refer to her as Mistress Violet and even the Pixies she recently made contracts with refer to her as Miss Violet. However, she had made it more than clear that it makes her feel lonely. She wants to be treated as an equal, so I call her by her name since it shows that I respect her choices."

Beowulf seamlessly crossed the room, not struggling at all. That didn't stop the man on his shoulder from complaining, though, not that he could be understood with his mouth covered and the restraints he was tied with restricting his ability to communicate. Elder Kendric was a bit slower, but still managed to jump across the distance to each of the platforms in turn. He barely took time to catch his breath before continuing forward while replying

"Very well, I shall reserve my judgments until I can meet her for myself. It's certainly unusual, even for a Human, to not enjoy the respect and other pleasantries their new roles come with. However, I suppose it's true that a reincarnated individual keeping their original form and their memories intact is also unheard of."

They continued forward until they reached the boss room. The boss itself wasn't going to attack them, nor would other creatures attack them. Well, it wasn't necessarily impossible for the more intelligent types of [Monsters] to choose to fight their instincts and try to attack them anyway. Most were smart enough not to get their Dungeon Master in trouble, even if they could resist. However, some were simply too chaotic to resist. A mere slime wasn't exactly capable of coherent thought or communication, though, so there was hardly anything to worry about here.

Still, the hedge maze itself presented a problem. Theodore hadn't really gone through it often enough to memorize the route to take either. Usually Violet came down to greet him by now, so he could just follow her the rest of the way to the dungeon core room. Elder Kendric didn't seem all that impressed by his lack of knowledge about the dungeon either.

"You haven't memorized the route yet? How new could this room be if the dungeon was reported to have unlocked the second floor nearly a season ago?"

Theodore sighed as he explained

"If you remember, the dungeon itself only appeared a few weeks before the winter season started. The boss room was built only a few days before the second floor was unlocked. I've only visited two or three times since it was built. Even then, Violet usually comes down to greet me before I can make it more than a few rooms past the entrance. I just follow her from that point since she knows the way."

Elder Kendric didn't seem all that impressed by Theodore's answer as he demanded

"After we're done here, I expect you to take a few days off to explore the entirety of the dungeon. There's no reason you shouldn't have the route memorized."

Beowulf chuffed, seeming far too amused. Elder Kendric turned to him as well, glaring as he asked

"What about you? Should I see how well you have your assigned dungeons memorized as well."

That made Beowulf's amusement evaporate immediately as his face once more took on a rather serious look. It wasn't part of their job to memorize the layout of the dungeon. Besides which, his lineage made it easy to tell which direction to take to make it to the dungeon core room the fastest. It wasn't his job to do so here and the connection wasn't as strong in a dungeon that he wasn't bonded to. So, there was no reason he'd go exploring a dungeon unless he received a report from the adventurer's guild about suspicious activity in the dungeon, something that hadn't happened in a couple of decades, at least.