"Empress Aurora Moonsong, are you certain about this?"

Elder Elysia asked. Technically, Aurora wasn't officially an empress of any sort. She had, once upon a time, been an Elven princess before she had been chosen to become a Dungeon Master. At that time, she had been disappointed by the fact that she could no longer compete for the throne, but that hadn't lasted very long. As a Dungeon Master, after all, she could be called by any title she wanted, wielding power equivalent to any monarch or emperor without ever having to worry about being dethroned.

Elysia had been assigned as her very own Dungeon Diplomat from the very beginning. It had only taken asking once to be referred to as an empress for the woman to respect her wishes. Every person who was lucky enough to meet her over the years hadn't so much as attempted to argue about it, merely eager to please her in an attempt to save their own lives. After so many years, Aurora had built up a truly successful dungeon, which had allowed Elysia to be recognized for her own efforts, earning her the title of elder and a position on the council of Dungeon Diplomats.

The years had truly been good to the both of them, but still, Aurora's answer remained the same

"Yes, I wouldn't have said as much if I wasn't ready. I'm tired of this life, it's grown so repetitive, and I'm ready to embrace death wholeheartedly."

Elder Elysia frowned, seeming reluctant, but, all the same, she still replied

"Very well, lead the way."

There were many floors still left to travel, filled with all sorts of dangerous [Traps] and [Monsters] that had rarely had an opportunity to be used. It was funny, Aurora could still remember how she had searched for her first husband. She was eager to have extra help around the dungeon to ensure her life wasn't cut short. Finding someone who would accept employment on a full-time basis on anything but the lowest floors was all but impossible. However, it was a far different story if she was willing to take a spouse.

She had ended up taking a Human man of A-rank as a husband who had too quickly grown old as her own lifespan was always going to be greater than his own. Over the years, she had grown colder, less willing to abide by the rules that most others did in society. There was no point in monogamy and caring about being a good spouse. As her dungeon grew taller and more powerful, the line of individuals lined up hoping to gain her attention only grew longer.

She wasn't even questioned when she chose to build a harem of her own. A few men she brought to her side simply for their good looks, enjoying the pleasure they could bring her. With such a long life and the way her body had changed in the process of bonding to the dungeon, her sense of joy and unpleasantness had warped far beyond what it once was. She was no longer held back by things like pain and injuries, no matter how severe, but she also couldn't enjoy the more minor pleasures in life like the relief of no longer being hungry or the pleasant feeling or falling asleep at the end of a hard day. It had only made her more desperate as she sought out what little pleasures she could find in life.

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Of course, not every man to join her long list of admirers over the years was chosen for their ability to make her heart race. Some were chosen for their ability to invoke other types of emotions in her. Someone who could annoy her, someone strong enough to rival her own strength and make her feel competitive, or someone who could cook dishes delicious enough to make her reminisce on her time as a member of the Elven race could all be valuable in their own ways. However, when you live for hundreds of years, even all of that can grow boring.

No amount of seeking out bards with new songs and stories to tell, dancers to show off new and innovative styles, or tributes from other dungeons could keep her entertained any longer. She had given up in frustration a number of times over the years only for someone to surprise her after a couple of decades of waiting. She had plenty of time to wait things out, to see how technology and the world around her might change over time. However, even several hundred years didn't guarantee the world outside her dungeon would change enough.

She had been eager to build up her own dungeon when she had first become a Dungeon Master. Often she would rush through building floors just so she could unlock more powerful [Traps] and [Monsters] to protect her. It was only after she had more than a dozen floors that she started to slow down a bit, but even that didn't mean she was truly taking her time to enjoy the process. The dungeon was just a means to an end as she prioritized protection over building a home for herself. After nearly two hundred years, she had started to change things, adding a bit of beauty here and there, but that was still mostly saved for the upper floors where she spent most of her time. What was the point in creating something for the adventurers who constantly invaded her dungeon to enjoy? If it wasn't going to benefit her, there wasn't much point.

Auror didn't necessarily regret her choices now, but it was certainly something that came to mind as she passed through yet another room. It wouldn't be long now, soon enough they'd be at the dungeon core. She felt a bit bad as she looked at Elysia, the poor woman would likely die today. There were far too many floors to traverse for her to escape in time. However, she didn't bother to speak up until they finally came to the entrance to the dungeon core room. Seeing her hesitation, Elysia turned around and asked

"Have you changed your mind after all?"

Shaking her head, Aurora replied

"No, that's not it. Rather, I'm just sorry that I have to ask this of you. I know it isn't a great way to repay your kindness over the years."

Aurora was well aware that the woman no longer had children to raise. It wasn't like she was going to orphan anyone. She had even been kind enough to send notice ahead of time so that the dungeon would be empty when Elysia arrived. As for her own harem, the last love interest she had kept had died a few years back. She hadn't been interested in accepting anyone else since then, so there was no one else who had to suffer. It would just be the two of them until the very end.

Elysia gave her a sad smile as she said

"It's alright. I've lived a long life. It's an honor to have served you for all these years. I'd rather this be how things end rather than anything else. Don't worry, I won't try to flee, I'll see things through until the end."